New Reviews by Title: E-J

Author and narrator Moon Unit Zappa recounts her nontraditional upbringing in the same simple, honest manner she had as a child. Zappa emphasizes certain words as she describes how her younger self craved attention from her parents, especially her father, Frank Zappa, the renowned innovative musician. She shares high school memories and her family's reputation for liking to... Read More

Listeners will be swept away by Nikki Massoud's charming performance of this romance novel. After running out of money chasing her chef dreams, Effie comes back to her childhood home on Alder Isle for the summer. She gets a job at a prestigious local restaurant, but when she almost hooks up with her boss and discovers she works with her childhood friend Ernie, whom she rejected... Read More

Narrator Karen Cass recounts this twisty mystery, as told by soft- voiced Eliza Mace. In 1874 Wales, Eliza; her mother, Hannah; and her Uncle James live in Edge Hall, a manor house that has become impoverished through her father's spendthrift ways. One day, he disappears while on a business trip, and all clues point to foul play. Eliza and the charismatic new police constable,... Read More

Livingstone's audiobook surveys theories about the impact of climate on humankind from classic times to modern. Derek Perkins's interpretation helps keep the deeply learned and formally written work more approachable than it might be if read on one's own. His voice is strong, his accent pleasing, and his speech crisp, clear, and finely attuned to the sense of the text. Perkins... Read More

Golden Voice narrator JD Jackson's tone reflects the seriousness of Kozol's brief but disturbing audiobook. Jackson performs this indictment of the "savage inequalities" of American schools with a measured pace and controlled cadence. He conveys the vigor of Kozol's takedown of the country's segregated schools, which he criticizes for their dilapidated buildings, stultifying... Read More

Escape with narrator Jennifer Macbeth to a family vacation in Greece. Flo needs a break after an embarrassing meltdown, so the timing of this vacation is perfect. However, her brother brings along his best friend, Jamie, who is gorgeous but a person Flo loathes. Yet, secretly, she has a crush on him. Macbeth adds just the right amount of vulnerability and passion to her tone to... Read More

Alex Jennings provides a sensitive narration of Perry's multilayered novel, a meditation on loneliness and the fragility of human connections, as seen through the motif of a comet's recurring orbits. With a thoughtful air, Jennings tells the interconnected stories of columnist Thomas Hart, a closeted gay man who lives in the village of Aldleigh; Maria Vaduva, a... Read More

Narrator Joel de la Fuente brings listeners to Space Habitat Altaire for the 25th reunion of the exclusive Rochford Institute's Class of 2064. While the prep school classmates compare their potential eligibility for Mars colonization, and generally hook up as much as possible, the staff of the luxury resort, almost all immigrants to the U.S., scheme to reclaim Earth and space... Read More

Hawaiian actor Kaipo Schwab performs the first published novel by a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In the middle of WWII, Cowney Sequoyah is hired to be a groundskeeper at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. While there, he learns more about the Axis diplomats being held prisoner at the inn. But when a Japanese girl goes missing, the U.S.... Read More

Narrator David de Vries turns what could have been a ponderous story of a major scientific rivalry into a fascinating study of the legacies of two inquisitive men with two difficult temperaments. Swede Carl Linneaus (1707-1778) and Frenchman George-Louis LeClerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) tried, simultaneously, to define and classify all life on earth. While their approaches... Read More

Four narrators depict intergenerational Filipino sons and fathers over the course of a century. Ramón de Ocampo portrays young Francisco, who works tirelessly on California farms in the 1930s, occasionally regretting having left his Philippines home. JB Tadena captures angry Emil, who lives and works in poverty after Francisco, now an adult, deserts his family to pursue... Read More

Narrators Kirsten Potter and Leon Nixon deliver assured performances of the women and men who helped shape nineteenth- and twentieth- century American history and culture through their explorations of its terrain, flora, and fauna--and the lands beyond. These individuals represent diverse perspectives that will take listeners outside traditional narratives of exploratory... Read More

Lisa Flanagan performs this group story of a faculty at one public high school as if she were herself an entire acting company. At the beginning of the story's school year a superannuated substitute teacher dies ingloriously on a couch in the eponymous lounge. That episode and each one following introduces more linked characters, events, complications, and unintended... Read More

A terrific performance by Christopher Lane transports listeners to Dickens's London 20 years before the events made famous in his novels. We learn why Miss Havisham became the embittered woman in GREAT EXPECTATIONS, as well as the origin stories of many other notable characters in Dickens's works. After being jilted at the altar and robbed of her fortune by Compeyson, a con... Read More

Dominic Gruenewald adds momentum, skepticism, and a lucid voice to this fresh report on the history and current state of artificial intelligence (AI). As the title suggests, much of what we call AI is programmed deception, a type of fakery limited to specific tasks or goals. Gruenewald provides a light touch when narrating the linguistic paradoxes of AI terminology, classic... Read More

These concise histories of 12 vanished civilizations began as a series of podcasts but prove unexpectedly cohesive and powerful coming together as an audiobook. Author Paul Cooper's narration is distinctly accented and a bit repetitive in his cadences; nonetheless, he is an effective and highly agreeable guide through four millennia of strife and mayhem. Cooper's chapters... Read More

Narrators Maeve York and Benjamin Sands deliver exceptional performances of this audiobook. Gage Buchanan, a seemingly perfect single man, meets Rory Casteel, a cocktail waitress turned art appraiser, in his hometown of Calliope. Rory is on a mission to find her father and doesn't expect to cross paths with Gage after their one-night stand. However, as their attraction grows,... Read More

Listeners will be fascinated by the origin story of the Sawtelle family, featured in THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE. In 1919, John Sawtelle; his wife, Mary; their friends; and their dogs set out to create a life in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Richard Poe paints pictures of the locations, the wide range of memorable characters, and their adventures. At times funny, at times dark,... Read More

Rosemary Benson's clear and empathetic voice is perfect for this combination of self-help and memoir. In 1995, Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and given three years to live. She was only 37 years old and had a small child, a happy marriage, and a flourishing career. She began keeping a diary for her daughter and now draws on decades of entries for this... Read More

Penelope Keith and Russell Tovey embody the warmth of the protagonists in this charming novel told from dual perspectives. Tovey narrates with emotional vulnerability and an inquisitive tone in portraying Clayton Stumper. The lovably old-fashioned 26-year-old unravels the final mystery left by the legendary puzzle maker Pippa Allsbrook, who raised him in her later years after... Read More

Sebastian Abineri brings to life nineteenth-century London and New Orleans in a novel that combines historical and fictional characters. Listeners encounter Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, Fagin, and others. Striking descriptions of the rich and powerful contrast with the underbelly of poverty, prostitution, and crime. Abineri expertly mingles accents, time frames, and myriad... Read More

Narrator Linda Emond returns to deliver a masterful performance in the 23rd installment of the Temperance Brennan series. Emond has found the perfect voice for the forensic anthropologist who relentlessly works to put together the puzzles provided by body remains. This adventure takes Brennan to a tragic fire in an illegal Airbnb in Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC. Listeners will... Read More

Helen McAlpine narrates a simple yet powerful story of a lady knight who is seeking to reclaim her honor. To restore her title, Maddileh must retrieve the fireborne blade from a legendary dragon called the White Lady. She also navigates other challenges such as sexism, because she's a female knight, and confusion over whom she can trust. McAlpine's wispy narration is a great... Read More

Five talented narrators knit together the stories of five children from different countries who settle in the same Lower East Side apartment building. Listeners meet Jenny Epstein, author Weinstein's grandmother, whose Russian Jewish family lived in the building in the 1910s and whose story is sensitively told by Eva Kaminsky. Successive generations include Italian American... Read More

What if you were so good at your job as a rental stranger that you started believing your roles were real? Julian Cihi gives a convincing and moving portrayal of a young man who has many identities--except his own. Cihi's range of voices and accents illuminates the diverse roles he adopts for clients who have hired him through the Rental Stranger app. While Cihi's even tone... Read More

When the daughters of a victim of a serial killer go missing after 15 years, just as the serial killer apparently reappears, police call on Investigator Kendra Michaels to use her extraordinary observation skills to assist in solving their disappearances. Narrator Elisabeth Rodgers's strong characterization helps bring Kendra to life, along with her on-and-off boyfriend, Lynch,... Read More

This audiobook opens in London, where Lady Elizabeth Palmer is convinced that someone is trying to kill her. Saskia Maarleveld and Pete Simonelli return to narrate this newest FBI Thriller featuring Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich. Simonelli's resonant voice is well suited to portray Savich's calm capability, and Maarleveld shines when delivering Sherlock's dialogue,... Read More

Abdul Salis brings vulnerability and determination to his portrayal of a boy who perseveres in the face of difficult circumstances. Sena lives an ordinary life of school and farm chores in contemporary Ghana. When tragedy threatens to drive his family into poverty, Sena offers himself up as a fisher boy on the very lake that figures heavily in his grandfather Togbe's tales of... Read More

Narrator Tanya Eby tells the story of Erica; her 17-year-old daughter, Summer; and Erica's ex-husband Peter's pregnant wife, Allison. When Peter ends up in jail, Allison is left with a toddler and no money. As Summer pleads with her mother to rescue Allison, Eby captures Summer's youthful exuberance and her mother's controlling personality. Allison is younger than Erica, and... Read More

Narrator Elisabeth Lagelee uses a soft French accent for this story of love and loss set in Milly, France. Twenty-one-year-old Justine works as a nursing assistant in a retirement/nursing home, where she collects the stories of her charges, especially those of Hélène, a nearly 100-year-old resident. Hélène recounts her life from the 1920s through the Nazi Occupation, including... Read More

In a stellar narration, David Pittu infuses this audiobook with genuine wit and plenty of tenderness. In two timelines, we follow Artie, a struggling gay copywriter who hates his job, first, on his 30th birthday in 1992 and, again, on his 60th in 2022. On his 30th, his three best friends urge him to quit his job and write a novel. David Pittu imbues young Artie with a funny,... Read More

Anyone who finishes this audiobook about land use and isn't outraged just wasn't listening closely. When land is treated as a commodity rather than as a historical asset, society and, ultimately, the planet suffer. The author looks at the history and contemporary impact of land-use practices and policies. Golden Voice Bahni Turpin offers a solid, clear narration. She captures... Read More

This family saga set in Venezuela follows political movements in the 1960s and the 1990s, and their effects on the lives of Stanislavo; Emiliana; Maria; and her son, Eloy. Four narrators take turns delivering the story of Stanislavo, which takes place in the jungles of northeastern Venezuela in 1964 as he participates in a leftist uprising and forms a relationship with... Read More

Listeners are thrust into a high-stakes thriller that begins with the placement of a frantic middle-of-the-night phone call. Andi Arndt expertly conveys Dana's panic as she summons her best friend, Jo, to help dispose of her husband's dead body. Hillary Huber, as Jo, imparts a steady, no-nonsense tone as she learns of the hidden abuse Jo's husband has inflicted upon her over... Read More

Soneela Nankani's narration maximizes this story of reunion and suspense. Her expressive voice captures the complexities of Raj and Rachel Ranjani's special weekend. Their lavish plan to celebrate the launch of their high-end winery in Napa Valley with their best friends from college exposes simmering tensions beneath the surface. Nankani's skillful character differentiation... Read More

Journalist and podcaster Nicola Twilley has dedicated years to the study of refrigeration. Twilley's delivery is most notable for her English accent; words such as "garage" and "tomato," "vitamins" with a short "i," and "aluminum" with a long "u" may distract the listener. Nonetheless, this audiobook demonstrates how important her reporting and research are as it reveals the... Read More

Narrator Bianca Drew introduces listeners to Georgina Wilcox and her three sisters. They are of African descent and born into the family of a successful businessman, their grandfather. Their trials and tribulations begin with the death of sister Catherine's husband, who, it turns out, has drained the company's coffers of money. Drew captures all the anxiety of these events.... Read More

Narrator Chloe Davies delivers the second audiobook in the DC Morgan series. Seven contestants find themselves in the mountains of Wales for what they've been told is a "Survivor"-like TV show. They quickly discover that the premise of the show, called "Exposed," is to uncover the deepest, darkest secret of each person involved. When a contestant goes missing, Detective Ffion... Read More

Award-winning English author Olivia Laing's pleasant, light voice suits her narration of her newest work, a mix of memoir and nonfiction essay. Structured around her restoration of an eighteenth-century walled garden--yes, she acknowledges Frances Hodgson Burnett's A SECRET GARDEN--the book explores her delights and frustrations while working with plants, the history and... Read More

Bergstein's work is less a biography and more an examination of Judy Blume's place in the evolution and expansion of children's and young adult literature. Beginning in the late 1960s, she introduced a new kind of realistic fiction to the fantasies and didactic stories already on the shelves. Mia Barron employs an almost professorial delivery as she weaves biographical snippets... Read More

Narrator Mike Chamberlain makes this true-crime story seem like a novel. Master criminal Arthur Barry came from a working-class family in 1920s Massachusetts. He recognized early that to be upwardly mobile, he needed to change his accent and behavior. Barry deftly used disguises, charm, and violence when necessary to move into upper-class circles, even hobnobbing with (and... Read More

Narrator Rosemary Benson's steady voice gives an anchoring stability to a memoir that dips in and out of the author's remembered experiences of death. The strength and depth of Benson's tone build a credible picture of an 85-year-old intelligent, tenacious woman whose attempt to water a failing dogwood in her yard results in a bad fall, a broken neck, and a long recovery. The... Read More

Mozhan Navabi performs an enchanting narration of this robust historical fiction. In 1939, Annabel leaves behind her troubled past to work at her uncle's Grand Hotel on the French Riviera for the summer. During that time, she becomes close with a charming yet devilish actor and a cunning screenwriter while they film in the area. With them, though, come Nazi guests, visiting... Read More

Christine Rendel gives a quietly unforgettable performance of this dark and witty 1986 novel--a queer classic that is finally available on audio. Janet and Susan, known around their Cotswolds village as "the girls," live a comfortable life running a quaint gift shop. When Jan gets pregnant, it leads to a series of unexpected (and dramatic) events. Rendel's narration captures... Read More

The introduction to James Baldwin's American classic, which takes place in 1930s Harlem, is narrated in a steady, warm voice by Roxane Gay. The story involves a series of flashbacks that explain one special day in the life of 14-year-old John. As is often the case in Baldwin's early writing, the evangelical Christian church plays a part. Narrator Joe Morton begins the novel in... Read More

Listeners will be puzzled when 13-year-old Barbra Van Laar goes missing from her bunk at an Adirondack summer camp in 1975--and even more intrigued when they find out her brother vanished from the same location 16 years earlier. To complicate matters, the camp is owned by her wealthy family and is one of the few employers in the beautiful but economically depressed area.... Read More

Dan Bittner delivers this captivating story of determination and perseverance. Hearing about Nick Baumgartner's journey to winning an Olympic Gold Medal in snowboarding is an emotional roller-coaster ride. His memoir takes listeners through his years of sacrifice as he travels for competitions, starting at the bottom and working his way up. He learns the ropes of the sport,... Read More

Ellie Gossage gives an intense and wonderfully introspective performance of this unsettling novel. Helen is lesbian lawyer whose parents have recently been incarcerated for an appalling crime of neglect. She's nearly perfected the art of compartmentalizing her trauma and using sex to distract herself, but she takes it to another level when she becomes involved with an older... Read More

Former Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye delivers her latest collection, subtitled "Poems About Families." They're mostly focused on her relationship with her mother. Nye has a comfortable, unaffected delivery. Her voice has an unstudied tone, but, make no mistake, every syllable lands with precise intent. The poems are short and, at times, breathtakingly revealing,... Read More

This vibrant short story collection featuring animals offers a scintillating safari of sound and narrative, expertly performed by Humphrey Bower. His animated voice and Australian accent, accompanied by sparkling sound effects and music, are sure to make listeners smile. Educational and entertaining, the stories include Little Bug Books and BumbleBunnies collections, which... Read More

Robb Moreira's appealing and empathetic performance anchors listeners in Tucson teenager Brett's point of view. Brett is creative and funny and has a great vocabulary, thanks to his adoptive mother, Evelyn--and his life is spinning out of his control. Brett tries to escape his grief by making and distributing new issues of his Kid Condor comic book, watching THE KARATE KID,... Read More

This informative and insightful audiobook history of the Mississippi River and its regions quickly and necessarily focuses on questions of protection and preservation. The Mississippi is the center of American prosperity but is difficult to control and at every point is vulnerable. Narrator Gabriel Vaughan is a steadfast guide through a tangled history of levy building and... Read More

Dr. Sharon Malone, board certified ob/gyn and a certified menopause practitioner with more than 30 years of experience, serves as both author and narrator. She offers vital advice on managing one's healthcare and practical tips on following that advice. Throughout, Dr. Malone candidly shares personal stories, family experiences, and relevant case examples that will motivate... Read More

Listeners join Texas Ranger Darren Mathews who, after turning in his badge, reluctantly investigates the disappearance of a young, Black student from an otherwise all-white sorority house. JD Jackson's pitch-perfect narration is the ideal match for this fast-paced story, which is seen through the eyes of a Black man who is living in Trump's America. Jackson's gifted delivery... Read More

Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari, and Fred Sanders provide an authentic narration of this moving novel. Sorvari portrays Keaton, a woman whose life has been turned upside down. Needing time to recover, she is sent to North Carolina by her mother to prepare her late grandparents' home for sale. Upon arriving in Beaufort, Keaton discovers that the house has remained untouched... Read More

This deep dive into African American athletic greats, written by the late tennis star Arthur Ashe, is a who's who of both well-known and under-the-radar names in American sports. Landon Woodson narrates the chronology that moves listeners sport by sport--from baseball to basketball to football, track, boxing, and more. Woodson steadily guides listeners through the encyclopedic... Read More

Narrator Jeannie Sheneman brings listeners to Boneyard Key, one of the most haunted towns in Florida. Cassie Rutherford has moved into the old Hawkins house, not knowing she's getting a ghostly roommate. When her laptop won't charge in her new home, Cassie meets Nick Royer, the owner of a local café. Nick is a bit grumpy, and Sheneman gives his voice a bit of gruffness. As Nick... Read More

Rachel L. Jacobs, Jane Oppenheimer, and Rene Ruiz lend their considerable talents to this story of a house bequeathed to a family by an unknown aunt. The Baker family is vacationing at the house. While they had hoped the vacation would bring them closer, instead they start turning on each other--with devastating consequences. Oppenheimer tells the aunt's backstory, tracing her... Read More

Fiona Hardingham delivers Simonson's latest novel. In England in 1919, life has returned to a postwar normal. But Orphaned Constance worries about her future. What will she do when her current position as gentle Mrs. Fog's companion ends? Poppy is young, confident and eager to help her disabled brother. Hardinghan's tone of humility and empathy provides balance to Poppy's... Read More

Andrea Gallo's skillful narration, especially her natural cadence, brings to life the two intertwined narratives of this audiobook on robotics. Her warm presentation personalizes the author's story, which ranges from watching "Lost in Space" as a child in Romania to becoming the director of MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Gallo's delivery illuminates the author's... Read More

Kevin Barry narrates his dark story about a whirlwind romance between an opium addict and a mail-order bride in the winter of 1891 in Montana. This story--resplendent with esoteric language and a quirky style--is surely best consumed in audiobook form, and Barry's narration does it justice. Tom Rourke long ago abandoned the miserable work in the copper mines in favor of... Read More

In this audiobook Mary Williams is on the brink of destitution. She's lost her job and custody of her child, and is facing losing her home, too. When she reads an unusual advert from Eric, it appears to be the solution to her troubles. But, actually, Mary's situation is going to get much worse. Julia Atwood narrates the story from Mary's point of view, skillfully creating a... Read More

Narrator Lipica Shah embodies Abbas's poetic text about henna and its uses by many people in Southern Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The refrain "Henna is" invites listeners to join in and creates an open mood in which to explore its different aspects. From its cultivation and mix of ingredients to its color, texture, scent, and many uses, henna is a way to define one's... Read More

Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus narrate a romance set on a reality-TV dating show. Krystin is appearing on "Hopelessly Devoted" to find a husband; Lauren is on the show to build her social media presence. Neither woman expects to fall for anyone, not even Josh, the show's hopeless romantic. Wilson brings sweet sincerity to her portrayal of Krystin, emphasizing her overall... Read More

Natalie Naudus, as Logan, and Jeremy Carlisle Parker, as Rosemary, serve up complementary energy with alternating performances of two former best friends who unite to fulfill their beloved former English teacher Joe's dying wish. Parker's performance from Rosemary's perspective vibrates with her tightly wound anxiety as Joe's request for a summer road trip from Washington to... Read More

Sometimes you stumble across an audiobook with such a bizarre and intriguing performance that you want to devour it. Such is the case with Sarah Crossan's novel and her outstanding performance of it. Dolores divorces her husband after discovering he's been having an affair with an AI sex bot named Zoey, which she eventually keeps. At first, Dolores explores her hate for the... Read More

Questlove is an established musician, musicologist, DJ, and narrator of his latest audiobook. Here, he recounts the fifty-year history of hip-hop with exuberant joy. The result is a fascinating journey from the coastal cities in the early 1970s, where historians believe hip-hop started, to the current state of the art. From the nature of sampling, lyrics, and how music made the... Read More

The stories in this audiobook collection have subjects as wide as the list of narrators is long, and the result is excellent. All the titles--based in New England and spanning centuries--create their own world, yet connections both clear and subtle link them beautifully. There is not a weak performance, and each narrator is perfectly suited to his or her story. "Radiolab:... Read More

David Gibbins's essays on historic shipwrecks, some of which he has seen firsthand as a diver, branch out into a lot of detail about what was found when exploring them and what was going on around the times of the wrecks. Kent Klineman pauses a lot as he narrates, sounding cautious about getting names and details right. It's rough listening at first, but Klineman's staccato... Read More

Narrator Leighton Pugh's calm British demeanor provides an effective vehicle for this scathing critique of the Nazi character. In these two dozen brief biographies of Hitler and his circle, Pugh strips bare the venality and pretentiousness that characterized so many of the dictator's underlings: Goebbels and Goering, Himmler and Hess and Heydrich, and don't forget Albert Speer... Read More

André Santana narrates this queer coming-of-age story with tenderness that will touch listeners' hearts. The story begins with 6-year-old Santiago's arrival in the U.S. from Colombia with his mother and half-brother. As they settle in place, his mother, who is always working, often leaves Santiago to his own devices. As Santiago matures, he discovers and embraces his queer... Read More

This familiar story of a teen pop star pushed to early stardom is given a haunting performance by Brittany Pressley. Amber has grown up pleasing her mother by attending audition after audition. Her success in landing a spot in the supergroup Cloud9 was only the beginning. Now exploring her solo pop career, Amber becomes an oversexualized idol who yearns for a normal childhood.... Read More

Ari Fliakos and a full cast perform this gripping story of moviemaking gone wrong. "The Thin Kid," portrayed by Ari Fliakos, played a pivotal role in a never-released indie horror movie filmed in the 1990s. Now, he's been asked to reprise his role in the remake. An ensemble of narrators perform the screenplay, moving back and forth between the original version and the revised... Read More

Willy Vlautin narrates this novel, a series of linked stories, with the gentle twang of a vintage Telecaster. His characters are woven into the settings of the American Southwest, around Las Vegas and Reno, in run-down hotels and casinos. Here, guitar players are buoyed by their love of performing music, even if the audience is small and disinterested. Here, listeners trace the... Read More

Avi Roque emanates fierce, Latine energy as they voice these fabulous gay boys in Texas during the summer after their junior year of high school. Mac has never had the close-knit friend group he craves. All that changes when he hears Flor discuss performers Valentina and Ariana Grande on the last day of English class. The tight group of joyful Mac, good-hearted Flor, tumultuous... Read More

Cynthia Nixon tells this story of loss with empathy and compassion. Magda is taking the road trip her best friend, Sara, had planned for the two of them--she's traveling with an urn containing Sara's remains. Except for the hint of Sweden in one's character's voice, Nixon doesn't employ accents to identify characters. Instead, her amazing ability to insert emotions into their... Read More

Joyce Maynard's sweater-warm voice is rich with nuance as she performs her newest, a sequel to her Earphones Award-winning COUNT THE WAYS. Taking place between 2010 and 2024, the story finds Eleanor, a successful writer, back on the family's New England farm after her former husband's death. In a story that is simultaneously profound and quotidian, she navigates life with three... Read More

This lively audio adaptation of Huda Fahmy's hilarious graphic novel will delight listeners. Huda's having a crisis. Her family's just moved from a small town to Dearborn, Michigan, and suddenly her identity can no longer be "the hijabi girl" because she's not the only one anymore. Fahmy's wry narration captures the humor and the many ups and downs of her freshman year in a new... Read More

Scott Brick and Suzanne Elise Freeman provide an engaging listening experience as they trace the story of Rachel Roberts, a bestselling novelist whose beloved series is coming to an end. Freeman's narration captures the tension and urgency of Rachel's quest to confront her past and protect her future, while Brick's portrayals of supporting characters, such as Topaz Kennedy and... Read More

This audiobook concerns two women who are separated by decades and continents but joined by blood, tragedy, and a bejeweled cobra bracelet. The romantic story is rendered perfectly by two narrators. Helen Laser portrays the contemporary New England heroine, Mallory, a single mom. Caroline Hewitt depicts Hannah, who in 1952 is living in Cairo, which is seething with revolution.... Read More

George Newbern and Johnathan McClain narrate this story of heroism, blackmail, and secrets. When a high school teacher named Richard, portrayed by Newbern, thwarts an attempted school massacre, he ends up in the spotlight. The publicity catches the attention of a former student who accuses him of abuse and blackmails him. While attempting to clear his name, Richard uncovers... Read More

Being in his late 80s and having a well-respected career in psychiatry behind him, bestselling Korean author Rhee Kun Hoo explains the benefits of aging by sharing what he has learned throughout his life. Narrator Tim Lounibos presents the author's philosophy in a precise tone that thoroughly and smoothly gets key points across. Lounibos sounds studious yet comforting as Hoo... Read More

Sarah Skaer's bubbly narration captures Natalie Nakada's delight at times spent with her best friend, Imogene. But all too soon, Skaer reveals Natalie's lingering grief a year after Imogene's death. Her feelings of loss cast a pall over her senior project, a retreat at one of their favorite places, the haunted Harlow Hotel. There Natalie hopes to film paranormal activity that... Read More

Narrators Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings make an appealing pair in this sweet and steamy romance set in Kansas City. Farzan and David hook up after a case of mistaken identity and some scorching instant chemistry. Farzan would like their relationship to become something more, but David, who is focused on studying for his master sommelier exam, urges them to continue as friends... Read More

Now a senior writer and a wife and mother with a mortgage, Emily Farris had a prior life that was affected by ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) that was not diagnosed until she was 35. This roller coaster of a memoir takes us through the pervasive screwups and self-recrimination that plague ADHD sufferers. In Farris's case, these started with her family of origin... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett delivers this fantasy audiobook with multifaceted voices and consistent pacing. In Bellemontagne, dragons are a nuisance that call for extermination. Robert is exceedingly talented at the job, but his love for dragons makes him detest the task. His empathy for them is so visceral that listeners will feel his pangs of loss. Princess Cerise requires Robert's... Read More

In her writing and narration, Glynnis MacNicol captures the vivacious spirit of her visit to Paris 2021. As she describes fleeing the pandemic isolation of New York City, she expresses her feelings of deprivation and her readiness for her annual month in France. She is bent on satisfying hedonistic desires and achieving renewed freedom. Once there, she emphasizes sensory... Read More

Starting this audiobook with the title's bestiary gives listeners the opportunity to be introduced to the creatures who are vital to its quest story. In addition, English actor Samuel West's deadpan delivery highlights its dry humor. If Christopher weren't holding a baby griffin, he never would have come to believe his grandfather about the hidden archipelago where magical... Read More

Narrator Kate Udall chronicles the life of the greatest grifter of the Gilded Age, a woman who was known as Cassie Chadwick. Through her cunning, business acumen, and total lack of scruples, Cassie lived a life of luxury. She was able to take advantage of the vanity, cupidity, and credulity of the bankers, lawyers, and businessmen of her day. Udall narrates this biography... Read More

Drawing inspiration from BLACK MIRROR, THE MATRIX, and 1984, this debut audiobook takes listeners inside the evolving world of AI with a dystopian twist. Although it's set in a world of cutting-edge tech, it is a deeply human story, and Joe Knezevich's narration imbues it with warmth and subtlety. When a tech start-up creates an algorithm that can change events in the real... Read More

Narrators Andrea Emmes and Tim Fannon take listeners on an action-packed journey through time and space. From her ship in orbit, Lieutenant Selene Genji has a horrific view of Earth's destruction, brought about by decades of factionalism over alien contact. When she awakens in a strange ship to discover she's been hurled back in time by the blast, she realizes she may change... Read More

A sweeping work of nonfiction voiced by six talented narrators, this audiobook tells the stories of immigrants who were detained while trying to enter the U.S. With authentic-sounding voices and accents, the narrators convey real stories of individuals and families and the impact detention in America had on them as they sought new lives. Voicing the accounts of a Central... Read More

Sara Novak expressively narrates this young adult novel featuring diverse characters in the UK. Mara and Nico's relationship has always been uneven, with Mara seemingly more invested and interested in Nico than she is in Mara. After an accident causes Nico to have amnesia, Mara wonders if they have a second chance to have a healthy relationship--and if they're doomed when... Read More

Kyla Scanlon, an Internet and online video creator, offers a trendy, metaphor-based explanation of how money and the U.S. economy work. Her delivery is relatable and charming, though the charm seems forced at times. The foreword is written and narrated by former WALL STREET JOURNAL columnist Morgan Housel. His pitch and intonation bring the gravitas and authority that are... Read More

Cassandra Campbell and Barrie Kreinik bring this historical novel's two timelines to life. In 1890, Annie, an Irish maid for a wealthy family, is deceived by love and wrongly accused of theft. Sentenced to prison, Annie is subjected to sexual harassment and acts of violence. Injustice drives her to revenge. In 1972, Judy, an aspiring photographer, spies Annie's mug shot and... Read More

Narrator Amy McFadden breathes life into the romance between pop music star Simon Bennett, and publicist Juliette Bellucci. After a scandal with her previous client, Juliette is assigned to work with Simon on a concert documentary. Simon doesn't want his difficult childhood to be part of the film, and Juliette is tasked with making sure that doesn't happen. Simon has a sunny... Read More

Author and narrator Steven Johnson earns high praise for this dramatic history of dynamite as a terror weapon, a tangled tale that begins with Alfred Nobel and ends with J. Edgar Hoover. Cause and effect shape a narrative as compelling as any thriller. Dynamite enabled the large constructions of the modern age but offered a powerful tool for anarchists, whose outrages, in turn,... Read More

In this penetrating audio adaptation of Ken Narasaki's 2008 play, an 80-year-old WWII veteran suffers a stroke and lies in bed unable to speak. Showcasing a fine cast of Japanese American voice actors, the story shifts seamlessly from the man's memories of the battlefield to a desolate, wind-beaten internment camp where, years earlier, two teens, portrayed by John Miyasaki and... Read More

Jasmine Blackborow narrates this mystery involving disappearances and murders in 1877 London. Strong-willed, independent Minnie Ward and ex-police detective Albert Easterbrook investigate seemingly random men who are dying by strangulation, suffocation, and poison. Digging deeper reveals they were all involved in the Trafalgar Theater tragedy that occurred 12 years earlier and... Read More

In a masterful performance, Deepti Gupta delivers this story of twin sisters who are torn apart by family mores in 1950s Bombay. She brings the ever-rising stakes for Jaya and Kamlesh to the listener in living color. Her nuanced performance captures each character, particularly determined and passionate Jaya. Gupta's subtle shifts in tone and accent also enhance the... Read More

A full cast performs this humorous investigation featuring upright-walking, talking, vest-wearing alligators. Mango and Brash go undercover at Batter Down Bakery to find a kidnapped baker and fight the evil "Crackerdile," who is also a bomber. The cast adapt their voices to multiple roles, especially Torian Brackett, who portrays the straightlaced narrator; Aaron Yamawaki, as... Read More

In Violet Sorrengail's intense second year at Basgiath War College, she faces brutal training and a ruthless new vice commandant. She also uncovers dangerous secrets that could change everything. This audiobook is a true delight as it brings the story to life with a full cast and immersive sound effects that pull listeners into the world of dragon riders. Khaya Fraites's... Read More

Sara Matsui-Colby delivers spine-tingling chills as readily as she describes the pressures of middle school. She clearly projects Sadie's unease as she arrives at her new school. Sadie's afraid to make friends because she believes that a jealous ghost caused her best friend's death at her old school. What if that ghost has followed her? Matsui-Colby depicts potential friend... Read More

Narrator Cindy Kay entertains listeners as she skillfully delivers this satirical novel's snarky tone. Aki Hiyashi-Brown accepts a teaching job at the expensive, predominantly white Wesley Friends School in order for her daughter, Meg, to be able to attend. After racist graffiti is found at the school, Aki, one of the few teachers of color, is assigned to be the head of the new... Read More

Aure Nash's performance brings depth and humor to the engaging story of Mavis Miller. Nash captures Mavis's struggles to balance raising her spirited daughter, Pearl, her demanding job, and a challenging DEI leadership role at her daughter's school. The complexities of the school's politics and the mystery surrounding the principal's disappearance are vividly portrayed through... Read More

Dominic Hoffman narrates this moving audiobook with reverence and excitement as the author examines the cultural contributions of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie. With his strong tone and gravelly timbre, Hoffman narrates with fidelity to every nuance and theme in this eloquent work. All three iconic front men were showmen as much as musicians, and all... Read More

Before traditional American Black music was sanitized, condensed, and recorded for white listeners, it was as raunchy and X-rated as anything in today's gangsta rap, according to this lively history by a prolific music journalist. Elijah Wald's meticulous research is roughly organized around the early-twentieth-century barroom musician Jelly Roll Morton and is performed here... Read More

By the waning months of WWI, English troops remained dug in 100 yards from the enemy. Waiting. In this superb audio adaptation of this 1928 classic drama, the naturalistic dialogue is what will draw the listener into the trenches--it's that realistic and affecting. The production features a cast of top-tier English character actors. Matthew Wolf finds the gentle humor in... Read More

Olympic swimming star Katie Ledecky narrates her own work, recounting her time in pools ranging from the East Coast (she grew up in Bethesda, Maryland) to the West (she attended Stanford) and across the globe (she has competed in four Olympics). Her story blends anecdotes about competition and training with personal moments, many of which feature her family. Ledecky is not a... Read More

Jonathan Todd Ross performs this optimistic audiobook with an attractive vocal personality and a remarkable resonance with the likable author, a TV political commentator and founder of two online newsletters. Ross's colorful pitch and phrasing palette puts sparkle in the listening, but what gives this audiobook real staying power is the relaxed and positive way he connects with... Read More