New Reviews by Title: A-D

Australian narrator Stig Wemyss portrays a wide range of characters in this collection of three short, suspenseful stories about children surviving unexpected perils. In "A Different Dog," Wemyss voices the increasingly fearful thoughts of a selectively mute boy who is lost in the woods. In "A Different Boy," his voices contrast a young orphan and the gruff, uncaring adults in... Read More

Jump into the start of a sci-fi romance series that explores the technological future. Narrator Regina Hall brings liveliness to her role as Trinity Jordan, a black woman working from home who is recovering from an accident she can't remember. Trinity is initially caught off guard by her odd new neighbor, Li Wei. Listeners feel Trinity's shock when she discovers she's falling... Read More

Narrators Alison McKenna and Alan Smyth give voice to the first installment of a new fantasy series. In hopes of finding a connection between the consumption of absinthe and seeing the fae, Ada Quicksilver travels to Ireland, where she meets Edward Donoghue, Earl of Meath. The two embark on a journey and find more than they ever imagined. McKenna and Smyth both provide an... Read More

James Lecesne's performance is campy, poignant, funny, and sad. This short one-man play, told through an investigating detective's eyes, begins with a missing 14-year old named Leonard. It becomes clear from the start that flamboyant Leonard was determined to be himself no matter who in his Jersey Shore town didn't like it. Relying on stereotypical Jersey accents and... Read More

Lucy Paterson brings finely honed narration skills to this mystery involving bullying, trauma, and murder. Her very English voice is smooth and expressive, her characters well delineated. In this third installment featuring the Icelandic team of psychologist Freyja and detective Huldar, someone is killing school bullies. The first victim is Stella, who is brutally attacked in a... Read More

Narrator Adjoa Andoh gives voice to May Knox, captain of the HAWKING II spaceship, which was supposed to be bound for Europa. When May wakes up from a medically induced coma to find herself alone, she has no idea where she is and what happened to her crew or ship. May's earthbound ex-husband, Dr. Stephen Knox, is the only person she can trust. She contacts him, and they try to... Read More

Narrator Fiona Hardingham’s distinct accent transports listeners to the world of the British aristocracy one hundred years ago. The story features poet Lord Byron’s first wife and their daughter, Ada. Ada’s active mind exasperates her mother and challenges her tutors. She meets meets her match in adult conversations and friendships. Intrigued by the work of mathematician... Read More

Narrator David Robb valiantly strives to breathe life into this pedantic and dull Sherlock Holmes novel. The story is filled with exposition and digressions and becomes more of an opportunity to expound on forgery and anti-Semitism than a chance to revisit the joys of time spent with the timeless detective. There is a disappointing one- dimensionality in the characters of... Read More

Narrator Rebecca K. Reynolds energetically conveys the spirit of this abridged classic, which is intended for young listeners. Reynolds's Tom is memorable when he slyly "invites" his buddies to paint Aunt Polly's fence. Twain's humor and sarcasm are deftly rendered, along with his story's sometimes funny superstitions, nostalgia, and old-time words, such as "confound it." To... Read More

This novel is set in a little known Nova Scotian community of transplanted Jamaicans and individuals of African descent (which is based on the real community of Africville). The story also moves to Montreal, Alabama, and Vermont and spans most of the twentieth century. Robin Miles's narration smooths the sometimes abrupt transitions between episodes so listeners can experience... Read More

This debut novel from a legendary rock star--Pete Townshend, of The Who--is a multigenerational tale of love, loss, and music, narrated by Michael Jayston. The story frames the life of an up-and-coming rocker, Walter, through the guidance and life story of his godfather, Louis. Jayston lends the narrative a heavy dose of gravitas balanced by a personal tone. Characters, who... Read More

Narrator Lorelei King had her job cut out for her while performing an audiobook with many unfamiliar futuristic concepts such as microscopic machines that build items from molecules in the air and all sorts of permutations of the cyberworld. But she makes it sound easy, not even pausing at the strange words, confident they will be understood in context. She is equally... Read More

Narrator Zehra Jane Naqvi transports listeners to 1942 India, where the nation's fight for independence from the British Empire is taking place. Ten-year-old Anjali fears her father will acquiesce to Mahatma Gandhi's request for all Indian families to send a family member to the resistance movement. When her mother becomes involved instead and is arrested, Anjali learns about... Read More

Take a front-row seat at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City for this live performance by the incomparable showman Alan Cumming. In his latest cabaret show, Cumming alternates between heartfelt monologues in his delightful Scottish brogue and Broadway-style singing accompanied by a superb quartet. Always entertaining, he offers perceptive insights on what it means to him... Read More

Narrator John Lane's deep voice perfectly suits ex-con Mitch Crews, who comes to town looking to meet the half-brothers he never knew he had. Soon after arriving, he encounters Charlotte Parrish, who works at his brothers' transportation company. Lane gives Mitch a sexy husky voice. While Lane has a masculine voice, it doesn't affect his ability to deftly accommodate female... Read More

Both author Mildred Taylor and narrator Allyson Johnson fully meet expectations in concluding the Logan family saga, which began in 1975. Johnson warmly welcomes listeners as if inviting them to sit by the fire to hear this family story. The heroine of so many of the Logan books, Cassie, is 19 at the time of the Civil Rights movement. She leaves behind both her beloved land and... Read More

In the tradition of ROOM and THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, this story is told from a distinctive point of view--in this case, that of 7-year old Dolly Rust. Narrator Cassandra Morris captures Dolly's youthful exuberance with ease, fairly hopscotching through Dolly's "advanced" vocabulary and self-proclaimed wealth of knowledge and skill. That said, there... Read More

Narrator Priya Ayyar immediately communicates the wit of high school student Allie Abraham. She looks like an all-American white girl and is more opposed to bigotry than her Christian-born mother and nonpracticing Muslim-born father. Her close relationship with her parents and their protective attitude toward her are made clear as she mocks a xenophobic newscaster and then... Read More

Narrator Jamie Cline leads off this D-Day story with the passion-filled voice of Dee, a German native who is a soldier in the U.S. Army who is about to break ground on the beaches of Normandy. It will take more than soldiers like Dee to win this battle. Other Allies such as Samira, a French-Algerian saboteur who is working with the French Resistance, and Henry, an... Read More

Narrator Taye Diggs's steady delivery of Alex Cross's most haunting case enthralls listeners in this 25th anniversary audio edition. Cross follows the trail of Gary Soneji, a.k.a. Murphy, a serial killer with a split personality who terrorizes Washington, DC, with vicious murders and the daring kidnapping of two children. Diggs portrays Soneji using singsong tones and Murphy as... Read More

Though Daniel Adam Day's soothing baritone and relaxed clarity would work well with any nonfiction audio, it's especially effective with this astute analysis of today's gaping political divide. He narrates the author's astute observations with fitting surprise but never sounds partisan or polemical. Canadian political psychologist Dan Meegan shares research that illuminates the... Read More

Narrator Keith Sellon-Wright brings a workmanlike approach to his narration of this brief and balanced guide by Canadian historian Andrew Preston. Preston's writing is well ordered, if dry. Sellon-Wright does little to lift it from the page even when the author describes potentially dramatic challenges in international relations as the U.S. moved from a colony to a republic,... Read More

Complementing the biographies of better known nineteenth-century Americans, this audiobook provides an enlightening history of radical thinkers, activists, and firebrands who promoted everything from free love to sexual abstinence, boycotts of slave labor goods, even veganism. Narrator January LaVoy, who speaks with an appealing combination of authority and clarity, imbues... Read More

Stefan Rudnicki uses his rich and resonant timbre, commanding tone, and deep empathy to bring this 1928 masterwork of twentieth-century Russian literature to life. It is shortly before the First World War, and the Cossack peoples of the Don River Valley are raising crops, raising families, and sometimes raising Cain while waiting to be called forth to do what they do... Read More

Narrator Deepti Gupta gives life to all the fabulous characters in this story, translated from Hebrew. The audiobook opens with a repeated statement coming from behind a door that has been closed for five hours. This is the only time we get to hear the bride, Margi, speak. "Not getting married," she says, without much emotion. The chaos begins as the appointed hour for the... Read More

Rachel Friedman's sweet delivery of the introduction and coda of her memoir complements narrator Jennifer Rubins's engaging delivery. A serious violist as a child--she even attended the renowned Interlochen Arts Camp--Friedman left behind her music in college and is now a writer. She argues that our current zeitgeist makes it easy to feel like a creative failure. In an upbeat... Read More

Blair Brown, Michael Crouch, Stephanie Willing, Dion Graham, and others narrate this compelling work of historical fiction. In 1969, a set of cousins climbs aboard a modified bus in Charleston to find a long lost family member in San Francisco. Along the way, they encounter music and culture to which they have never before been exposed. These adventures allow the narrators the... Read More

Cornell Collins narrates a bold romance, which is also a smartly plotted heist story. Alec Pyne hires a pair of jewel thieves to steal the diamond parure that the Duke of Ilvar intends to give his Duchess--but the Duke is Alec's own father. This is merely the first of many unexpected revelations in this romance. Collins's initial portrayal of Alec as a diffident and unassuming... Read More

Recognized as a 2020 Honor Book by the American Library Association, this culturally infused audiobook is a great listen for both middle-grade listeners and their parents. Set in Eastern Europe during the tenth century, it focuses on Anya, a brave yet humble girl who takes on the task of capturing the last dragon to save her family's livelihood. Narrator Laura Knight Keating... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller's fast-paced narration underscores the life-and-death stakes in this speculative sci-fi thriller, which traverses two near-future timeframes. Scientist Gabrielle White accidentally discovers an astonishing technology for transferring consciousness into the body of another person. Fast-forward 25 years, and a young woman, Annami, navigates a disturbing future in... Read More

This is a listen for anyone who is curious about authors reminiscing about the impact their parent or parents had on their lives. These shortish works are all interesting and offer glimpses into the lives of authors known and not so well known. The narrators bring sympathetic, nuanced takes on the 25 writers who share their stories in this collection. Some of these stories are... Read More

Narrator Rob Shapiro delivers long, fluid strokes, perfectly paced to draw the listener into Paul Krugman's latest compilation of columns, blog posts, and essays on macroeconomics. Shapiro captures Krugman's passion for explaining the economic implications of political actions. His warm tones breathe life into "zombie" economics, the ins and outs of the housing bubble,... Read More

Andi Arndt sparks the listener's desire to wander with intention--or "flaneur"-- with a charming narration that explores this reflective and revitalizing act. Arndt's buoyant narration imparts the author's desire to reinvigorate the listener's relationship with the world and to create work/life balance by inspiring a flaneuring habit. Arndt infuses a contagious delight into the... Read More

The listener will hang onto narrator Humphrey Bower's every word in this gripping psychological thriller, well suited to audio. Bower's Nick Kelly sounds like everybody's idea of a media-happy tough-guy NYPD detective as he investigates a string of murders. Serial killer Michael Fisher seeks fame as an artist by arranging his victims in gruesome versions of famous paintings,... Read More

An ensemble of narrators presents the first in a series set in a dystopian world in which Ashlords rule. Three teens compete, riding magical steeds that rise from ashes at dawn and die in flames in the Ashlords' annual race. All of them are at an unfair advantage and have stakes more important than the prize money. Andrew Aiden mixes a drawl and a tone of determination to... Read More

Alternately narrated with just the right amount of earnestness and snark by the two authors, this audiobook eschews the heavy-handedness of some astrologers in favor of a playful approach. Alex Dimitrov and Dorothea Lasky are two poets who created a Twitter account that provides followers with astrological forecasts. The authors' voices are quite different from each other,... Read More

Narrator Matthew Josdal's delivery style--low-key, neutral, and occasionally skeptical--makes him the right voice for this fresh perspective on Donald Trump. The premise: Trump is a brand mascot, not much different than Mr. Clean or Colonel Sanders, who has "jumped off the cereal box" and into the White House. This triumph of brand over man has its roots in TV's populist... Read More

For those with a serious interest in the evolution of banking, this audiobook is a must-listen despite narrator Jonathan Cowley's lack of engagement. Walter Bagehot (pronounced "badget") was one of those multitalented Victorians whose ideas have continued to echo in the present. Although he also wrote biography, literary criticism, and political analysis, this audiobook focuses... Read More

Alamada Karatihy has the perfect bubbly voice to tell the story of how an unlikely couple disrupted the American wine industry. Upbeat, perky, and full of energy, she captures the spirit behind Barefoot Wine, now an established brand. She is joined by the Sherwood Players, a group of vocal actors who chime in to represent customers who call or write in with feedback. The result... Read More

Narrators Alana Kerr Collins and Tim Campbell work hand in hand to weave an intricate tale of forbidden love and undying bravery. Primarily voiced by Collins, Lira, a soul reader from the island of Glasnith, speaks with an enchanting cadence that often gives way to notes of defiance. Reyker, who is regarded as a beast, is introduced by Campbell with a low timbre that sounds... Read More

Penelope Keith returns to narrate Book 30 in M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. Keith provides the perfect voice, tone, and tempo for the delightfully flawed Agatha Raisin, who solves crimes in the Cotswolds. This time Agatha's private detective agency is hired to investigate industrial espionage. Before long, she and her crew are involved in a murder supposedly committed by a... Read More

Narrator Tim Paige captures the heightened emotions of two protagonists in this literary thriller set in Venice. Twenty-five-year old Nick and his boyfriend, Clay, have a simple plan: to scam an American retiree out of enough money to fund their fresh start. But as they struggle to relinquish their pasts, the scam, and their lives, begin to spiral out of control. Paige's... Read More

Musician Esperanza Spalding, actor/singer Adepero Oduye, and writer Dan Piepenbring work together to recount the vivid, creative life of the artist known as Prince. Originally, Piepenbring was hired to help Prince write his memoir; when the musician died unexpectedly, Piepenbring took over what became a biography. Here he narrates his introduction; his lifelong status as a... Read More

Media CEO, producer, feminist, and philanthropist Pat Mitchell turns her many talents into a powerful narration of her new audiobook--part memoir, part strategy session for women wishing to make change. Mitchell's commanding presence translates easily to her performance and provides a memorable experience for listeners. Personal stories are included, as well as anecdotes of... Read More

P. Carl narrates this story of becoming himself with a raw, emotional intensity that makes for an unforgettable listening experience. At 51, Carl begins living as the man he's always known himself to be. In the untrained voice of a man telling his hard-earned truth, he navigates his shifting relationship to masculinity and queerness, recounts the trauma he experienced living as... Read More

Author and narrator Tami Charles tells the story of Beatriz Mendez, whose dreams of becoming a professional dancer are shattered the night her brother is murdered. But when the opportunity to dance on her favorite TV show arrives, Beatriz is torn between caring for her grieving mother and her brother's gang and taking a chance on her future. Charles crafts an approachable... Read More

Listening to Randye Kaye's narration, one is easily transported into the world of medicine, from both a doctor's and a patient's perspective. Joyce is facing a breast cancer diagnosis, and her daughter, Marnie, is a new surgical resident at a prominent New York City teaching hospital. Kaye captures the essence of each woman's highs and lows by speaking in nuanced tones and... Read More

Full-cast romance is rare, but THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING requires it and makes ideal use of it. In the fantasy world of Triton, four royal couples must marry to fulfill a prophecy and defeat a feared Beast. Aramus (Jakobi Diem) and Ha-Lah (Joniece Abbott-Pratt), Cassius (John Hartley) and Elena (Stella Bloom), True (Hartley) and Farah (Clara Francesca), Mars (Lance... Read More

Neil Gaiman asserted that "short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams." This collection of "tiny windows," performed by narrators as diverse and vivid as the stories themselves, provides glimpses of worlds, minds, and dreams that are tragic, wistful, disturbing, and thought-provoking. The variety of content will entice a wide audience,... Read More

Narrators Charlie Thurston and Rebecca Gibel ramp up the thrills and chills as they deliver the 25 stories that comprise the 11th edition of this renowned horror fiction anthology. They take turns narrating, smoothly adjusting their inflections and pacing to match each story's tone and mood. All the stories have their own version of the macabre as they incorporate mystery and... Read More

Timothy Pabon narrates in a measured tone, being careful to help the listener understand this work. Often his strategic restraint helps clarify this sometimes pedantic audiobook. His patient delivery of complex arguments helps clarify the author's core contention that contemporary "modes of education" have historically been put in place by elites to protract the status quo and... Read More

Narrator Susan Bennett offers a moving performance of this multilayered story of two women whose lives are affected by a New Deal art mural. In 1940, Anna, a young artist from New Jersey, faces hostility from the townspeople in Edenton, North Carolina, when she is hired to paint the post office mural. In 2018, Morgan, who is just out of prison, uncovers disturbing details and... Read More

An ensemble of talented narrators performs a romantic comedy involving a love triangle with equal parts heart, warmth, and chocolate. A love of chocolate has driven Lulu and Leo into respectable careers--but away from each other. Leo's love is unrequited, and nothing happens between the two until a fateful scavenger hunt across New York City. Andi Arndt and Sebastian York's... Read More

Edoardo Ballerini narrates this gentle and evocative thriller with style. Against the backdrop of post-WWII Italy, an unnamed young man idles away time, putting off his return to work and a more normal life. As he travels around a lake, he meets Orimbelli, with whom he forms a fragile friendship, and they set out on adventures that end in a mysterious tragedy. Ballerini's... Read More

Narrated primarily by Kristen Sieh, with a brief prelude performed by Sullivan Jones, the third installment of the Playbook series focuses on Denver bar owner Brynn Larson and pro football star Maxwell Lewis. Brynn's long-standing crush on the professional athlete develops into more than the fling she hoped would happen. Sieh has a pleasant, slightly raspy timbre, and her... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham uses his full breadth of talent in delivering an action-packed thriller that weaves together several plotlines. Listeners are hooked from the start as a maniacal serial killer is being tracked down by Homeland Security agent Kit Steele. The story then shifts to Boston Harbor chief Cormack O'Connell and his battle to maintain control of the harbor and his... Read More

The destructive impact of gun violence comes to life in this stirring audiobook, narrated with intensity by Charlie Thurston. Set in the South, this debut novel reads like a documentary, which is an ideal format for Thurston, whose delivery is reminiscent of the best TV anchormen. The audiobook begins when a student kills 12 people at his university library, using his... Read More

Narrator Anne Dover admirably conveys Yorkshire in 1929 as feisty private investigator Kate Shackleton investigates a body found on a train amid a rhubarb delivery to London. Shackleton goes north and poses as a photojournalist staying with wealthy friends. Dover's appealing Shackleton is joined by her exuberant assistants, Mrs. Sugden, who has a down-to-earth perspective and... Read More

Jude Owusu narrates a vibrant nautical fantasy featuring a ship made from the bones of dragons and populated with criminals. Centuries after the total disappearance of dragons, the sighting of one lone creature propels two nations into a race to capture it. Owusu gives lively and colorful accents to the staggering cast of characters, including the enslaved Gullaime, a slave... Read More

Narrator Ramón de Ocampo takes listeners on a journey to a mountain village in the Philippines at the end of the nineteenth century. Samkad is thrilled when he is chosen by the Bontoc tribe ancients for the rite of passage to become a man, but circumstances intervene as his remote village is thrust unwillingly into the Philippine-American war. Between their local rivals, the... Read More

In a warm, conversational tone, narrator Janina Edwards guides listeners through this aptly titled survey of black American excellence. Ranging from the familiar (athletes, inventors, civil rights leaders) to the less widely known (entrepreneurs, beauty innovators, and environmentalists), the collected mini-biographies are grouped by subject area. But this is no dry history... Read More

Jeff Harding's hard-bitten rasp should suit Connelly's latest paranormal thriller featuring ex-cop Charlie Parker. However, the Texas twang he gives to Parker, who is from Maine, as well as other ill-considered character accents, and his squeaky portrayal of women, sometimes divert the listener's attention. The story involves Connelly's signature blend of supernatural horror... Read More

Narrated by transgender activist Shakina Nayfack, this audiobook tells the story of a transwoman raised as a sex slave. It is set in postapocalyptic America, where a plague has decimated the female population (and, to a lesser extent, the male population), and women of childbearing age are a precious commodity, hunted down and kidnapped. Nayfack's voice can range from soft and... Read More

Sofia Quintero's performance of this audiobook is compelling. Listeners are drawn into her first-person portrayal of Marisol, who encourages her nephew, Ramón, to solve a mystery with a twist: Marisol died during the Cuban Revolution, and Ramón is living in present-day New Jersey. Listeners come to know Marisol's ghost, particularly her empathetic voice, which Quintero... Read More

When you contemplate the remains of ancient humans, don't you wish they could somehow talk to you? In this deeply satisfying audiobook, it happens. Australian filmmaker Shelby Apple is obsessed with a 46,000-year-old skeleton called Learned Man. Apple's story alternates with Learned Man's, as he tells us who he was, what he did, and what his death at Lake Learned meant. In Paul... Read More

Jilly Bond narrates this memoir, written by a Polish-Jewish woman and originally published in 1945. An ardent booklover, Frenkel opened the first French bookshop in Berlin in 1921. When the Nazis rose to power, she fled to France, only to find herself subjected to the restrictions against Jews imposed under the Vichy regime. Bond seamlessly shifts between English and French... Read More

Narrator Kim Mai Guest chronicles the lives of some of the top women aviators of the 1920s and their race across America. Using dramatic pauses to capture her audience, Guest weaves the stories of some of the greats, including Louise Thedan, Ruth Elder, Marvel Crosson, Amelia Earhart, Bobbi Trout, Florence Barnes, and many others, from their very beginnings in flight to their... Read More

Narrator Kendall Taylor makes an epic love affair seem like a believable progression in this romantic fantasy. An Earth native named Lauren falls through a portal that leads to a mythical world. Aron, a battle god, also finds himself in exile in this mortal world. Lauren must serve as his guide as they both search for a way back to their respective homes. Taylor makes Lauren... Read More

Author and narrator Peggy Orenstein is no stranger to conversations about sex. Here she casts a comprehensive look at how young men navigate intimacy. Her conversational pace and tonal shifts lend themselves well to an audiobook that features several interviews as it engages listeners with a deeper understanding of how boys think and behave. Orenstein includes perspectives from... Read More

Narrator Emily Lawrence captures the many moods of Rachel, a girl with scoliosis who learns that she must wear a cumbersome, restrictive back brace. At first, Rachel's voice is bubbly and buoyant; she's looking forward to soccer season and the possibility of a boyfriend. After she learns she must wear the brace 23 hours a day, the changes in her relationship with her friends... Read More

This short epistolary work from the author of the award-winning biography LOOKING FOR LORRAINE, among other works, is in the vein of Ta-Nehisi Coates's BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME and James Baldwin's THE FIRE NEXT TIME, but this audiobook stands alone. Perry brings her singular voice to her restrained yet captivating narration. Though the audiobook could have benefitted from a... Read More

Author Niki Hardy gives a stellar performance in the audio version of her book about life lessons she learned while fighting rectal cancer. With humor and wit, Hardy acknowledges the many challenges in life, refusing to be trite in her narrative. In doing so, she connects to listeners in a unique way that few authors who are not professional narrators are capable of doing.... Read More

Twelve hours may sound a bit long for a "brief" audiobook history, but when the subject is China, time flies all too quickly, in more ways than one. Jonathan Clements and Julian Elfer, author and narrator, are both masters of pacing. They also teamed up for A BRIEF HISTORY OF JAPAN. Clements is especially effective in alternating broad historical summaries with specific... Read More

Dominic Smith creates a remarkable tapestry woven from strands of history, while narrator Greg Lockett turns them into indelible moments for the listener. In 1890s Chicago, Owen Graves, who has always been interested in relics and artifacts, is hired by insurance mogul Hale Gray to go on an expedition to Melanesia--but he must take along Gray's ne'er-do-well son, Jethro. Along... Read More

Narrator and former "Great American Country" host Nan Kelley lends her vocal talents to this Christian guide on stepping back, taking a break, and bettering your health by listening to your faith. The audiobook is designed to be used as a daily devotional. Kelley's gentle inflection is calming as she provides about 10 minutes of focus each day for 40 days. Her voice has a soft... Read More

Narrator Elizabeth Jasicki depicts a romance between a suffragist at Oxford and a powerful duke that shows why the political is always personal. Anabelle Archer is a brilliant scholar who has managed to secure a place in the first class of women at Oxford. Jasicki does a wonderful job portraying Annabelle's constant frustration with the various limitations and restrictions... Read More

This memoir often sounds as if narrator Eileen Stevens has pulled up a chair at a farm's kitchen table to tell stories. Her familiar tone and conversational cadence work. Though Chef Iliana Regan's story is fraught with bouts of alcoholism and self-destructive behavior, including sexual adventurism and tragic loss, her remarkable focus, drive, and farm-girl pluck win out. Her... Read More

Narrated by a full cast, this audiobook follows a group of troubled souls who gather in Arizona for spring training with the Los Angeles Lions baseball team. An unnamed, gravelly-voiced sportswriter introduces listeners to Jason Goodyear, the team's all-star outfielder, who is quietly collapsing into personal and financial ruin. This sportswriter periodically reenters the story... Read More

The much anticipated spin-off series from The Raven Cycle creator does not disappoint. Beloved narrator Will Patton returns with his creepy, suspenseful, almost mournful tone to takes listeners on a wild ride of art forgers, dreamers, and dream hunters. This is the world of the Lynch brothers. Ronan is finding his way in the dream world, trying to master his dreams without... Read More

This is not a listen for someone who is looking for an inside account of working in the Trump administration. That General Mattis had a long and storied military career isn't in dispute. That he had a difficult relationship with the president also isn't in dispute. And none of that comes up in this audiobook, which is ably narrated by Danny Campbell. Campbell offers a... Read More

Boris Hiestand does the lion's share of the narration in this expansive historical novel detailing a seventeenth-century British project to drain the eastern Fenlands. "Gentlemen adventurers" plan to drain the Great Level of the Fens in order to turn the fertile bottomland into profitable plantations. They hire skilled Dutch mathematician/engineer Jan Brunt, an expert at water... Read More

Sarah Knight's latest "No F*cks Given Guide" is, like its predecessors (THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF NOT GIVING A F*UCK and GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER), funny, irreverent, and filled with good advice. Knight's excellent sense of comedic timing shines in her brisk, well-paced performance. She is completely comfortable with the salty language that peppers her no-nonsense text outlining... Read More

Darrell Dennis narrates this dive into "rez ball," basketball set in the Arizona desert. His tone is comforting as he describes the challenges facing many of the young Navajo players on the Chinle High School team. He alters his voice a bit when a player or character is speaking--providing differentiation, rather than imitation. If a coach is giving a pep talk, he ramps up his... Read More

Narrator and humorist John Hodgman brings an arched eyebrow to much of his delivery of this "entertainment" from renowned novelist Eggers. His wicked send-up of Trumpworld follows the downward trajectory of an ill-equipped ship's captain and his hapless crew. Hodgman brings the comic timing of stand-up to the madness and corruption of the less-seaworthy-by-the-minute vessel.... Read More

Biographer Sheila Weller (GIRLS LIKE US) provides an unbiased, absolutely riveting account of the troubled life of Carrie Fisher (19562016). Narrator Saskia Maarleveld's enthusiasm makes Weller's exhaustive research as engaging as fiction. The daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and the "unsinkable" Debbie Reynolds, Fisher spent her early life in the company of some of Hollywood's... Read More

Elegance and grace are personified in the Cartier name, and, suitably, in the narration of this lengthy but fascinating history of the celebrated family of jewelers. British actress Hallie Morahan may not yet be a familiar voice for many audiobook listeners, but she is a natural for the medium, and is sure to win many fans with her subtle and expressive performance here.... Read More

Listeners won't look at the discarded things around them in the same way after hearing this poetry collection on audio. With a warm voice and a storyteller's cadence, Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye shares her experiences as a self-appointed trash collector, armed with gardening gloves, tongs, and a bag. Nye's appealing and engaging narration style makes her... Read More

Bahni Turpin exquisitely narrates the second book in this fantasy series, Legacy of Orïsha. Her steady pace and West African accent draw us into the story of Zélie, a Maji warrior, and Princess Amari-- both of whom fight against a monarchy that threatens to destroy the people of Orïsha. Turpin manipulates her voice in a variety of ways to convey raw emotion in the characters... Read More

A reimagining of the classic Christmas story, adapted by narrator Alison Larkin, treats the listener to Dickens's holiday tale--with one change. In this version, the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge is a woman. Larkin's performance skills are superb. She provides an engaging romp through nineteenth-century London at Christmas. Her spirited style infuses the production with flair and... Read More

Stable owner Joaquin Solis quickly falls for publicist Savannah Wilson, and narrator Tara Sands has the listener cheering him on. It's the Christmas season, and Joaquin loves all things Christmas, from mistletoe to tacky sweaters, while Savannah is opposed to it all. The listener can easily envision the festive environment. Joaquin has a younger sister, Desi, who is a cheerful... Read More

Narrator Tim Carper presents these seven engaging stories in a soothing voice. In "Comfort and Joy," Carper introduces successful Margaret O'Hara, who simply endures Christmas after the death of her young daughter. Things change when she encounters her stepdaughter, who's dying of AIDS and searching for someone to adopt her 2-year-old daughter. In "911," Carper's compassionate... Read More

Chris Henry Coffey narrates this audiobook about high-end cider with the knowledgeable tones of a wine expert (as well as hints of sarcasm and disdain for lesser ciders). Writer Jason Wilson is studying cider with an eye toward becoming a "pommelier." His tour of cider orchards and makers is informative and often entertaining. Coffey makes asides amusing--for example, he... Read More

Narrator Louise Brealey impressively conveys the horror in this controversial sequel to THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ. The novel's fictionalization of a real person, particularly scenes involving sexual enslavement, is being viewed by some as unethical. The story focuses on Cecilia "Cilka" Klein. After surviving many years at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka is sentenced to 16 years in a... Read More

Narrator Devon Sovari shows both the sophistication and vulnerability of 17-year-old Nikki Black in a story that takes place in the early 1990s. Upon leaving Chicago, she is lured to Los Angeles by a boyfriend who promises that his contact can aid her photography aspirations. Sovari portrays Nikki's wry wit and sarcasm and also reveals her sadness and guilt over her mother's... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham's soft voice evokes the tenderness between biracial middle schooler "Scoob" Lamar and G'ma, his white octogenarian grandmother. There are many other moods in this audio as well, and Graham succeeds with all of them. There's surprise as Graham's squeaky-voiced G'ma carries him off on a road trip in a new Winnebago, then sadness when he learns she's sold her... Read More

Narrator Susie Riddell portrays every one of the many characters in Greeley's Austen-inspired novel so credibly that it's hard to believe she's alone in the recording booth. In the world of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Elizabeth Bennet's friend, Charlotte Lucas, has made a sensible match, marrying Vicar William Collins. His patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, keeps Collins on a short... Read More

David Colacci delivers a solid narration that doesn't seek to embellish this true story with vocal theatrics. During WWII, the Marine Corps recruited Navajo speakers to create a code the Japanese couldn't break. The author was one of the original code designers. It's a fascinating story, particularly the details about how the code itself was developed as well as Nez's frontline... Read More

The history of Colombia is filled with violence, terror, and heaping doses of revenge, all of which are present in this exceptional audiobook. Narrated primarily by Brian J. Ramos, with an assist from author Rusty Young, the novel focuses on 16-year old Pedro Gutiérrez, who cares little about his country's internal conflicts until guerrillas execute his father before his eyes,... Read More

Listeners will find themselves drawn into the hope and possibility of young love with this powerful and inclusive anthology. The stories feature individuals within the queer community who are representative of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. The ensemble of narrators adds to the varied stories and infuses the selections with empathy and compassion. The narrators are... Read More

Author Seanan McGuire narrates the fifth installment in her Wayward Children series, transporting listeners to a terrible world filled with monsters, vampires, and dark temptations. Jack's murderous sister, Jill, has hatched a chilling plan that may destroy their home world. Enlisting the support of her school friends, Jack embarks on a dangerous journey home, desperate to stop... Read More

Listeners will ascertain quickly that Lucy Blunt's life will not have a happy ending. Narrator Ann Etter presents Lucy's distressing story, speaking in a voice that is, by turns, strong, resigned, contemplative, and morose. Lucy is to be hanged for two murders she may or may not have committed. We don't know which because Lucy is an unreliable narrator in this psychological... Read More

Narrator Jonathan Keeble brings a fine British accent and a pleasingly gruff voice to this account of Italy's (mostly political and economic) history. The history wanders to start with, and in modern times tends toward a listing of one incident after the next--occasionally Keeble sounds a bit tired of it. But, for the most part, his narration is thoughtful, showing attention to... Read More

Narrator Luis Soto recounts the history of Spain in a strong British-accented voice, his manner bright, brisk, and congenial. His Spanish is of native-speaker quality, although his accurate Castilian pronunciation, in which "s" sounds like "th," may give some listeners difficulty in recognizing people and place names. Soto, though intelligent and always correct in intonation... Read More

Author and narrator Elizabeth Berg effortlessly captures the tone and pacing of her Midwestern characters as they face life stages and contemporary social conflict. What started as a dining club evolves into a support group whose only requirement is that the participants be honest in their confessions. Most poignant are the characters' long-term regrets and abuses, which have... Read More

While it may be hard to conceptualize consciousness and free will, author and narrator Annaka Harris provides listeners with a concise guide to begin understanding the inner workings of the mind. Narrating with a steady pace and a clear tone, Harris uses examples of consciousness found in the natural world and questions the existence of the felt experience relating to current... Read More

This is a listen for aspiring writers, established writers, and those who are curious about what writers think about and read. Palahniuk is best known for his novel FIGHT CLUB. In this reflection he shares what he's learned over his career. Palahniuk himself delivers part of the audiobook. Happily for the listener (and Palahniuk), Edoardo Ballerini does the bulk of the... Read More

Narrator Katherine Littrell is the voice of 17-year-old Trix McCabe, who is trying to survive alone after her mother disappears. Her voice projects a false bravado as she recounts her story of distrust, loneliness, and need. When her case worker tracks her down and places her with the family of the father she never knew, Trix has a chance to change her life's direction.... Read More

Mann's well-researched biography of the complex and acclaimed actor Marlon Brando, well known for his social and political causes, is skillfully narrated by Will Damron. Damron's measured baritone is a perfect match to the sprawling artistic arcs of the subject's life. His quiet and intimate narration style quickly captures the listener's attention and easily maintains... Read More

This hauntingly beautiful retelling of "The Little Mermaid" is smoothly narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya and Mark Turetsky. Transitioning between two characters--Brooke, a human who suffers from depression, and Coral, a mermaid--Araya seamlessly delivers an outstanding performance with strong character differentiation. Turetsky portrays Merrick, playing up his golden boy... Read More

Michelle Ford's pleasantly British narration invites listeners to withdraw from the stress of an uncertain world, make tea, and curl up with this British cousin to Danish hygge or Swedish lagom schools of thought. Whether the author is chatting about how to make the perfect cuppa or musing on the cosy joys that open fires, brisk walks, and dressing for winter bring to our lives... Read More

One of the few collections of oral teachings in English by the meditation master of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism is now available in an accessible and stunningly performed audiobook. Largely composed of talks the author gave during the 1970s in both the East and West, the production also includes a short autobiography and an introduction to the Buddhist concept of... Read More

Hannah Russell is thrown for a loop when her best friend, Erin, dies after naming Hannah guardian of her 5-year-old son, Noah. Narrator Therese Plummer aptly expresses Hannah's anguish as she adjusts to her new situation. Hannah rents photographer Owen Abrams's house on a lake in rural Colorado. Plummer uses a deeply caring tone for Owen as he comes to love both Hannah and... Read More

Listeners are immediately swept into a blizzard in Haller Creek, Montana, as orphan Ben Monroe and his two younger brothers seek sanctuary on a ranch. Fast forward to the present, and Ben is now a deputy sheriff. Narrator Dustin Tucker aptly handles the characters of Haller Creek. Becca Henderson, the girl Ben has always had a crush on, has returned to town to work in her... Read More

Listening to Tania Katan narrate her call-to-arms guide to expressing more of your creative self at work, some listeners will wish that she were less effusive. Her dramatic embellishments are often distracting and sometimes interfere with phrasing clarity. But she's a likable messenger with an appealing message: Instead of tolerating a dull job or routine workplace, shake... Read More

Piper Goodeve is the ideal narrator for this coming-of-age audiobook. The story is mainly told from the first-person perspective of Evie, who is awaiting the return of her fiancé, Liam, who may be lost at sea. Evie lives on an island off the coast of California with her charming but irresponsible father. Her mother has returned for Evie's upcoming wedding after several years'... Read More

Alex Boyles offers a capable narration of this look at the American Revolution. It's easy to think that the British surrender at Yorktown marked the end of the revolution, but General George Washington knew otherwise, and it was his task to hold the army together until a peace treaty was confirmed. Idle, unpaid officers posed a threat to the fledgling government. This audiobook... Read More

Jefferson Mays gives a sensationally entertaining performance of this latest entry in Preston and Child's Pendergast mystery series. Mays's dry cultured elocution perfectly represents Pendergast's personality, which seems appropriate even when the story is following Pendergast's new partner, Agent Coldmoon, off on some tangent, or his ward, Candace, with her valises full of... Read More

Narrator Morag Sims's crisp British accent and lively pace characterize this Regency-era audiobook, reminiscent of an Austen novel. Seventeen-year-old Lady Victoria Aston (Vicky) is a romantic. Sims portrays her pluck, wit, self-assuredness, and longing for the close relationship she once had with Tom, her childhood friend. Sims deftly executes Tom's point of view--his caring... Read More

It's the 1930s. Listeners join Amory and Milo Ames on their trip to New York City for the wedding of Amory's childhood friend. When one of the groomsmen is murdered, the couple find themselves once again immersed in a mystery. This time they're taken into a world of bootleggers, speakeasies, and gangsters. Narrator Alison Larkin captures the atmosphere of this historical... Read More

With a description of the ticker-tape parade to honor Van Cliburn's triumph at the first Tchaikovsky Music Competition in 1958 as an introduction, this audiobook looks at how music became a political instrument during the two World Wars and the Cold War. Narrator Chris Coffey's deep voice and soft tone are a wonderful vehicle to tell this history. We hear about how German... Read More

In performing her own audiobook, lifestyle diva Katie Brown delivers 30 enjoyable stories from her own life that teach valuable lessons about one's relationship with God. Brown connects with listeners in a special way, making each anecdote personal and applicable to their lives. For example, the question of whether or not to trust the directions app Waze is related to the idea... Read More

Narrators Almarie Guerra, Vikas Adam, and Mia Barron deliver a performance full of wonder in this retelling of "The Red Shoes." Barron voices Lala, who faces suspicion due to her Romani heritage as women dance themselves to death in the summer of 1518. Guerra voices Rosella, a modern-day Latina teen who repaired her grandfather's treasured red shoes and now suffers from the... Read More

Julia Whelan's, Neil Hellegers's, and Dion Graham's narrations create an eerie world in this horror fantasy series. Park Heights holds secrets that slowly unfold in 16 episodes showcasing an array of characters--some with magical powers and others who are young social misfits coming into their own sense of self. Graham convincingly portrays a world-weary mage who is tied to a... Read More

In a tale full of magic, performed by narrator Merissa Czyz, tween Clementine struggles to keep her father's domain from destruction at the hands of a witch. As daughter and heir of the Dark Lord Morcerous, she uses whatever she can to keep their reign safe. The opening author and title statement immediately thrust listeners into the story without a musical prelude to set the... Read More

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller reprises her role as the listener's guide through the beguiling postapocalyptic "Borne" world. While part of a series, the story is accessible as a stand-alone with its own protagonists. Chen, Grayson, and Morse, three inextricably linked figures, traverse genetically and ethically muddled timescapes in search of resolution and redemption. Zeller's low... Read More

Narrator Lisa Coleman shows listeners sinister elements in the world of antiques and collectibles in small-town England. Juno Browne is supporting herself as a dog walker and house cleaner when antique dealer Old Nick persuades her to partner with him in his business. Then Juno finds him murdered in the apartment above his shop. With careful pacing to keep the listener in... Read More

Narrator Cassandra Campbell's exemplary skills keep this novel's many characters and time-shifts in focus. During the Adler family's flight to L.A., where Mrs. Adler writes for television, listeners will become acquainted with the family and other travelers. Campbell introduces the Adler parents, 15-year-old Jordan, and 12-year-old Edward as a close and loving family. Others on... Read More

Antonia Beamish returns to narrate the second Penelope Kite mystery, set in beautiful Provence. Beamish adroitly handles both British and French accents as ex-pat Brit and amateur sleuth Penelope once again finds herself meddling in a murder investigation. This time she is exploring the local art gallery scene with the devastatingly handsome mayor of St. Merlot when artists... Read More

Two narrators portray the dynamic relationship of the heroines in this compelling sequel to DREAD NATION. In an alternate history, zombies risen from Civil War battlefields are turning folks into undead across the country. Alternating chapters reveal the viewpoints of two African-American characters, both trained assassins who struggle to find their true identities. Bahni... Read More

Narrator Marin Ireland inhabits Haley Chill as the tenacious former military boxer takes on the role of a White House intern who must deal with the attempted coup of a recently elected president. Dark forces threaten the pillars of democracy and the rule of law when Haley finds her boss, the chief of staff, murdered. Ireland's delivery matches the quickening pace and ramped-up... Read More

The third installment of the Regency Imposters series, narrated by Joel Leslie, follows the budding romance between Amelia, a writer and the illegitimate daughter of a duke, and Sydney, a Quaker railroad builder and the son of an outspoken social activist. Leslie's portrayal of the protagonists is heightened by his use of various accents. Amelia's upper-class staccato is... Read More

In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, narrator Nancy Wu makes Princess Hesina's reluctance to be heir to the throne fully believable. When her father is murdered and Hesina becomes queen at age 17, Wu transforms her as she learns to focus on the well-being of her subjects while also finding out who killed the king. Wu maintains a well-balanced pace through the extensive... Read More

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown offers listeners both an insider's and a historical view of the workings of the U.S. Senate in this intriguing audiobook. His focus is on eight progressive senators, including Robert F. Kennedy, Hugo Black, and George McGovern, who sat at the same desk he currently uses. With a measured pace and a thoughtful tone, narrator Leon Nixon conveys each... Read More

Hallie Prince's drunken wailings kick-start this Texas ranch romance, narrated by Tieran Wilder. Rafe Fontana, son of the Princes' ranch manager, saves Hallie from a DUI and falls more deeply in love with her than ever. As Hallie recovers from her ex-fiancé's cheating, she finally realizes how lucky she's been to have Rafe as a lifelong friend. Hallie and Rafe both sport fun... Read More

Narrators Paul Woodson and David de Vries join together to create a suspenseful listening experience set against the backdrop of WWII. Woodson is the voice of Josef Hofmann, a clandestine Russian agent sent to keep the German communist party alive. De Vries is the much younger Walter Gersdorff, a man who remembers a strange house guest from his childhood. His voice is the frame... Read More

Broadway star, female impersonator, and Tony Award-nominated playwright Charles Busch leads a seasoned group of L.A. Theatre Works regulars over the top in this sweet and sassy spoof of 1950-60s evil glamour queen movies (think Bette Davis or Joan Crawford). "Camp" is the operative word here as the fine character actor Willie Garson and Busch have a wonderful time overplaying a... Read More

A fascinating premise is not fully worked out in this audiobook. What happens when the entire African-American population of a Southern state decides to move away? This story focuses more on the moment of departure than on the long-term consequences or the reason for the abrupt, unanimous decision to leave. The story is not helped much by narrator Jay Smooth. His voice is,... Read More

In April 1962, a fascinating collection of intellectuals and Nobel Prize winners gathered for a White House dinner hosted by President John F. Kennedys and the first lady. With his quintessentially American voice, narrator Tom Perkins delivers this well-researched narrative, which celebrates the achievements of mid-century American scholars, scientists, and literati and their... Read More

Jesse Ball's chilling dystopian tale is set in a bleak future in which citizens are "pats" who live in fear of the branded "quads," migrants, prisoners, and parolees who are separated from society and seen as something less than human. The story is told in three distinct sections. Sophie Amoss narrates "Ogias' Day" with a mix of curiosity and fear as two students become... Read More

Narrator Suzanne Elise Freeman delightfully narrates this work about dogs who assist sick kids and adults. This greatly helps the unwell, caregivers, and often doctors. Listeners will travel the country and the world to meet a number of canine service dogs and their companions, including Pippin, a psychiatric service dog whose assistance helps Elizabeth gain independence, and a... Read More

Narrator James Langton embodies the exuberant fun and charm of three classic stories: "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle," "The Story of Doctor Dolittle," and "Doctor Dolittle's Post Office." Langston's tone reflects the heartfelt emotions of the endearing, excitable, eccentric naturalist who communicates with animals. Sweeping listeners along on thrilling world-travel adventures,... Read More

Narrator Rachel Fulginiti is the calming voice behind this alarming audiobook about how Big Tech ate the economy and everyone's privacy along with it. Her performance is steady and measured, but not at all flat. Her narration is an ameliorating counterpoint to Foroohar's scary account of the industry's growth, avarice, lust for power and control, endless appetite for sellable... Read More

Christina Traister returns to narrate the second audiobook in Kylie Brant's U.S. Marshal Cady Maddix series, which takes place in North Carolina. Traister meets the challenge of voicing many characters, young and old, male and female, with varying degrees of Southern accents. The plot revolves around a teenager, Dylan, who five years earlier stumbled upon a crime scene that... Read More

Shakespearean actor Nigel Gore is the ideal choice to intertwine these two spectacular narratives: the story of Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the earth and the diaries of Captain John Smith, which include entries on the founding of Jamestown. Listeners will be flabbergasted to learn that there was an orchestra on Drake's GOLDEN HIND galleon as he sailed 10,000 miles... Read More