New Reviews by Title: E-J

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

Sebastian Humphreys and Vivien Carter perform this complex story about Hannah, her family, and Max, Hannah's late boyfriend who's now haunting their London apartment. After he dies, Max watches Hannah move on with her life and marvels at how much he still had to learn about her. Before she met Max, Hannah had fled Australia and--more importantly--her family. Humphreys performs... Read More

Justin Price narrates this story of a Montana town that is in the midst of a murder mystery. When George Blackwater is shot while working on a screenplay, the sheriff of Blue Deer assumes the attacker is Blackwater's put-upon wife. But when the number of killings climbs, it becomes clear there's much more to unravel. Price's narration gives this audiobook the tone of a noir... Read More

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

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

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

Narrator Fred Berman takes listeners on an absorbing journey through Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, revealing the myriad ways that ice has been intricately connected to life throughout Earth's history. Berman communicates paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin's passion for the complexities of polar regions. His search for fishapod fossils introduced him to the... Read More

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

A dialogue began when Thomas Piketty, a French economist who has written widely on economic equality, and Michael Sandel, a Harvard philosopher, met in May 2024 at the Paris School of Economics. In this edited version, Derek Dysart, as Sandel, interviews Piketty, whose part is narrated by Stephen Graybill. Both have a lot to say about the value of equality, especially as it... Read More

Piper Goodeve's energetic narration is a perfect match for this funny and charming story, making this a perfectly paced listen. Emma takes over her parents' estate-sale business and lands their biggest client to date. The grand house and its furnishings are overshadowed by its reputation: a previous bed-and-breakfast that also offered services of ill repute. Emma, unaware of... Read More

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

On a visit to Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, bestselling author John Green met Henry, a charismatic patient who looks much younger than his age due to the ravages of a tuberculosis infection on his body. They established a friendship, and Green's interest in the disease grew, leading him to become a supporter of Partners in Health and an advocate for reducing... Read More

In a voice full of curiosity, insight, and the driest sense of humor, author/podcaster Dorian Lynskey takes the listener on a fascinating and comprehensive tour of one of civilization's most durable tropes: the end of the world. Mixing fact, fiction, and prediction, Lynskey smoothly moves from the terror of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa to the Martian "invasion" of H.G.... Read More

Eliza Foss gives a performance as elegant and energetic as any "Gibbs girl" graduate in this entertaining and surprising account of the founding, growth, and eventual demise of the Katharine Gibbs School and the capable women who forged ahead with confidence from its several academies. In 1911, the widowed and destitute Gibbs opened her first secretarial school. Her goal was... Read More

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

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

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Aoife McMahon, with her lovely Irish brogue, brings Síne Quinn's introduction to 15 Irish faeries to life. This children's audiobook will also entrance adults as it looks at the light and dark sides of Irish faeries ranging from banshees and leprechauns to other shape-shifting and trickster characters. With her Irish lilt, McMahon introduces... Read More

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

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

Narrators Julia Whelan and Connor Crais deliver unique performances in this short yet moving audiobook. Seth and Charlotte are neighbors who meet over the disappearance of their stairs from a construction mix-up. Deciding to remain on their floor over the weekend, the two connect and talk about their isolated lives. The narrators' performances offer a full experience. Each... Read More

Narrator Emilia Fox does a fantastic job showcasing the range of emotions in this addictive thriller. It's Camilla's first day back at work after her maternity leave, and she's on edge from not being able to reach her husband, Luke. Police arrive to tell her that Luke has been identified as being involved in a hostage situation. She goes from scared to disbelieving as it's... Read More

Brittany Pressley and Aaron Shedlock charm listeners in this contemporary paranormal romance. Alex Lawson was once the outsider of her small town. Now she's Internet famous as the expert on the online fan forum she built for a long-running werewolf detective show. But she still can't stand the show's star, Devin Ashwood, whose career plummeted when the show ended. Waking up... Read More

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

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

Listeners don't need to be superfans of ice skating to be drawn into this audiobook. The world of pairs skating competition provides the setting for a story of young, elite athletes who are fighting for Olympic gold. Structured as oral history, the narrations are uniformly exceptional. Standouts include Christine Lakin as the complicated lead; her voice captures a mix of... Read More

Performing this fascinating memoir, published originally in French in 1929, Belgian actor Jade Wheeler captures the charm and depth of the American singer Josephine Baker, who lived in the U.S. and France. Wheeler performs with the spunk you'd expect from Baker, who enthralled audiences with her seductive personality and talent. In France, she enjoyed an unfiltered, irreverent... Read More

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

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

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

Jacques Roy's narration sounds like a political science lecture as Alexander Vindman's analysis of Russia's invasion of Ukraine delves into the history behind the conflict. He covers the Chernobyl disaster, denuclearization efforts, Ukraine's role in the fall of the Soviet Union, and relations between Russia and the region dating back to the seventeenth century. It's packed... Read More

Diane Bustelo and Krysta Gonzales narrate this YA story of two friends, each of whom is hoping to fulfill her deepest desire. Bustelo embodies Mayte, who is threatened by debt collectors because her father has lost the family fortune. Her best friend, Lo, portrayed by Gonzales, lives with her abusive father. The girls decide to visit Fortune's Kiss, a magical gambling den that... Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

Narrator Nancy Wu's pace starts off slow and steady--just like the search-and-rescue techniques depicted in this mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. Deputy Mattie Cob and her dog, Robo, are asked to join the team that is looking for a lost 9-year-old boy named River Allen, who wandered off from the trailer of his mother, a movie star named Crystal. Once the teams find an old... Read More

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

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

The second novel in Joseph O'Connor's proposed trilogy bristles with life. Superb performances from a talented cast reveal the thoughts and emotions of a group of righteous men and women who saved hundreds from Nazi brutality. In return for the Pope's agreeing to remain neutral, Vatican City is forbidden to the German occupiers. In this audiobook inspired by the true story of... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Robideau transports listeners to Waikiki to join former journalist Maya Wong as she returns to Hawaii to ghostwrite the biography of a controversial developer. When a member of his family is found murdered and Maya's ex-boyfriend, Detective Koa Yamad, heads the investigation, Maya soon finds herself embroiled in the twisting mystery. Robideau's use of Hawaiian... Read More

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

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

The youngest ever inaugural poet, Amanda Gordon, brings to life her powerful poem and message to all girls. It's a love letter to girls using any pronoun, from any culture, and with any level of ambition, saying that they have the means to make change, inspire and support others, and achieve their goals. Gordon's narration is motivating and vigorous. Delivered at a steady pace,... Read More

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

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

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

Rukhmani K. Desai delivers a sharp, dynamic performance that captures the biting wit and dark humor of Sanjana Satyanandais's contradictory existence. After she walks out on her failed marriage, her husband goes missing. Desai balances Sanjana's cynicism and vulnerability, making her struggles with adulthood, academia, and modern womanhood sound raw and relatable. Desai shifts... Read More

Bob Souer is a strong, energetic narrator who brings character and clarity to this excellent history of America's most colorful and dynamic state. Equally important, Souer maintains the author's reportorial balance and unmistakable enthusiasm for his subject. Arranged chronologically with each chapter devoted to a different era or feature of California's history, this is the... Read More

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

Rebecca Lowman gives a wondrous performance of this debut audiobook inspired by the real-life 1980s "Preppy Murder" case. In the Upper East Side neighborhood filled with WASPs where she lives, 18-year-old Nina Jacobs, who is Jewish, is spending the summer before college with her friends, drinking and experimenting with cocaine. She is drawn to the preppy, seemingly perfect... Read More

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

Shana Pennington-Baird narrates this historical true-crime story set in Washington DC and Baltimore during Reconstruction. Forthright Jane Gray's medical skills and familial ties are severely tested as friends and family members succumb to mysterious ailments and deaths. Pennington-Baird uses a variety of Southern and Northern accents for Jane's educated family, as well as for... Read More

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

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

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

Expertly narrated by Justin Avoth, and just under 10 hours, this history of the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565 is a good summary and analysis of one of the crucial struggles in Western history. Working with a narrative in which dramatic action is outweighed by critical analysis, Avoth maintains a solid pace and a steady tone, establishing a degree of focus and immediacy lacking... Read More

In a companionable, sometimes amused-sounding, narration, Lola Milholland shares her memoir about growing up in an unconventional family dedicated to communal living. Detailing both the benefits and quirky challenges of communal living arrangements, along with lots of tasty insights into recipes created there, she offers an eclectic mix of memories, family history, and shared... Read More

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

Sara Matsui Colby is the main narrator of this audio adaptation of a graphic novel, and various narrators chime in as minor characters. Japanese-American author Christine Mari recounts her study abroad experience as a time of culture shock, depression, a feeling of lack of belonging, microaggressions, and, eventually, self-discovery. To supplement the lack of visuals, various... Read More

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

Golden Voice narrator Gerard Doyle once again brings the quirkiness and erudition of D.I. Sean Duffy to life as he takes on a case that his boss, who is away on vacation, can't handle. It's 1992 in Belfast, and the murder of an IRA assassin means that Duffy must clock more time hunting for the killer despite his efforts to cut back as he nears retirement. Never mind that his... Read More

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

Saskia Maarleveld performs a gothic horror story about dark family secrets that haunt a pair of sisters in postrevolutionary Russia. Irina and Lili's family mansion is taken over by the Bolsheviks, who force the owners into the attic. The house, brimming with ghosts and secrets, falls deeper into decay. Maarleveld imbues the narration with a tone of intense patience that layers... Read More

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

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

Deep-voiced Piers Hampton fluidly recounts the history of Rome from its earliest days to its collapse through beautiful handcrafted coins of the realm. This lengthy history unfolds with a detailed description of each coin and the period during which it was inscribed and stamped. Hampton's voice lovingly caresses the coins and coils around age-old stories that range from Aeneas... Read More

Karen Chilton's performance provides the vocal resonance to convey the power of this audiobook. Listeners unfamiliar with the urgency of environmental justice are advised to prioritize this title. The land people live on and their access to water, plumbing, and healthcare are among the fundamental qualities discussed. Much of what makes environmental policy work involves a deep... Read More

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

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

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

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

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

Narrator Sasha Frost delivers an outstanding performance as Miss Pauline, a lifelong resident of the village of Mason Hall, Jamaica, who is almost 100 years old. Miss Pauline knows that her time draws near. She hears voices at night, her house has begun making strange noises, and she knows she must right some wrongs. Reflecting on her life with the help of her granddaughter and... Read More

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

Whew, there's a lot going on in this work, which tells tawdry tales of the city of Houston, reported and written by a host of locally famous authors and performed by a talented ensemble of narrators. Some stories are longer than others, but all seem to be as long as they need to be. The many different performers do an excellent job, though the collection would be better served... Read More

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

Narrating this exceptional audiobook with power and confidence, Alexis Fernandez-Preiksa, the host of a popular podcast, uses her training in neuroscience and her own personal growth adventures to explain the mindset and strategies needed for each of us to live our best life. The implicit message in her muscular voice and matter-of-fact tone is that all of us have the ability... Read More

Joe Jameson delivers an impressive performance of this comprehensive text. His pace and cadence work well with this fact-filled audiobook; even his intelligent-sounding British accent effectively conveys Smil's expertise on the state of the world's food supply. Smil, an energy expert, has long been a student of the planet's food. He says, "Numbers are the antidote to wishful... Read More

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

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

Sid Sagar immediately draws listeners into this riveting novel, set in ancient Thebes. Phaidros is a soldier who was raised to fight. Now he's in his 30s, lonely and grieving the loss of his sworn companion even as he trains a new generation. He's immensely likable, and the first-person perspective and colloquial language mean that Sagar is able to bring listeners intimately... Read More

Tempest Mensah narrates this fantasy-romance and supposed comedy featuring mostly Black and demon characters. The last single person in her friend group, Rayna, a 36-year-old career woman, summons a demon lover using a spell she read in a novel. When it actually works, she proceeds to act like a spoiled brat while he protects her from his world. Mensah's outstanding acting is... Read More

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

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

Daniel K. Isaac gives a warm, often hilarious, and touching performance of this delightful family saga. When Jack Jr. awakens from a two-year coma, he's shocked to discover just how much his life has changed. With his boyfriend and job gone, he returns to New Jersey to the family he hasn't spoken to in years and their struggling Korean sushi restaurant. What follows is a moving... Read More

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

Narrator André Santana riffs on popular tropes--one bed, fake dating, and second chances--in this queer rom-com. No one in Denzel Carter's family takes him seriously. So when he throws his hat in the ring to be CEO of his family's event-planning empire, he knows he needs a serious relationship to prove his maturity. Who better to fake that with than his first-love-turned-ex,... Read More

M.L. Sanchez's narration immerses listeners in the eerie atmospheric world of a small coastal town in Trinidad, where an undocumented 11-year-old girl named Milagros is sheltering. Sanchez's ability to weave together the story's time-shifts keeps it fluid yet gripping. She captures the unease that ripples through the island via the many characters. Her delivery highlights the... Read More

Robyn Holdaway narrates this atmospheric debut about a summer afternoon gone wrong. As a fractious extended family gathers for a celebration in 1989, a pack of cousins roam the creepy woods around the house, looking for their suddenly missing youngest and oldest members. Holdaway carefully mixes the wry voice of the unnamed narrator, recalling this episode from far in the... Read More

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

Whether you know actor/singer Josh Gad from THE BOOK OF MORMON (Elder Arnold Cunningham) or FROZEN (Olaf), you'll recognize his voice as he narrates his memoir. With great stories about his worklife and some enjoyable cameos by Sacha Baron Cohen, Mel Brooks, and Ron Howard, this audiobook offers a lot of entertainment. In a clear timbre and a melodic intonation, Gad proves his... Read More

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

This audiobook thriller begins with the Agarwal family's reunion. When the Agarwals gather at the island owned by eldest sister Myra, they expect Raj to announce his retirement and divide their company shares. What actually happens shatters everyone's expectations, and secrets begin to pour out. Avita Jay portrays Myra with clarity, delivering a strong performance. Zoe, voiced... Read More

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

Think an interplanetary gastronomical showdown sounds silly? Think again. Narrator Soneela Nankani brings depth and heart to this imaginative sci-fi. Earthling Saraswati Kaveri travels to the planet Primus to compete on the elite cooking show "Interstellar MegaChef." Things don't go as planned, and Saras ends up cooking in a prestigious kitchen, only to face ridicule and... Read More

Hillary Huber delivers another great audio performance voicing this adventurous mystery set in the glacier-carved wilderness of the Canadian Shield. Huber skillfully embodies the distraught confusion of Sarah Anderson when her husband inexplicably disappears on a backcountry canoe trip. She also reflects Sarah's anger and feelings of betrayal when she discovers her husband... Read More

Longtime television writer and comedian Bruce Vilanch narrates his wry, sardonic, whimsical, and perhaps too detailed examination of some of the greatest disasters in his TV writing career. His delivery is well articulated, understandable, enthusiastic, and varied in tone and pace as he, primarily, examines the 1970s penchant for musical comedy specials: "The Star Wars Holiday... Read More

Narrator Marni Penning performs this story of unlikely friendship and divided loyalty during the chaos of the American Civil War. Southerner Libby Steadman does all she can to keep the family gristmill going while her husband is away fighting. When she discovers a horribly injured Union soldier, she has to weigh the dangers and benefits of keeping him alive behind enemy lines.... Read More

Rebecca Romney, an author and dealer in rare books, narrates her intriguing exploration of eighteenth-century women writers in a mellow, welcoming voice. A longtime Jane Austen fan, she set out to explore the other women writers Austen might have been reading. Romney interweaves Austen's life with the life stories of these pioneering authors, her own reactions to their writing,... Read More

A full cast of narrators, including the author, delivers this enchanting collection of short stories about love, magic, and betrayal. Stephanie Németh-Parker voices a woman who grants wishes at a bridge during the full moon, enhancing the romance with her careful pacing and delivery of banter. David Monteith portrays a man who accidentally kills the woman he intends to marry,... Read More