New Reviews by Title: P-T

Alexis Madrigal narrates this audiobook about Oakland, California, confidently and enthusiastically. The journalist sounds genuinely interested in constructing the city's history and cultural touchstones. Madrigal has created a three-ring circus of ideas. First, he examines the Pacific Circuit, a network of "container cities" that historically established "trade routes and... Read More

This thrill ride of an audiobook tells the many stories of those onboard Train 721, which crashes in Montparnasse station in October 1895. British narrator Justin Avoth narrates the drama at a good pace and keeps the story moving. Donoghue brings her plotting skills, eloquent style, and eye for social mores to the cast of fictional people who are on the train. To the group she... Read More

Narrator Emma Faye brings enthusiasm to what might otherwise be a dry academic study. She is almost chirpy at times. Despite an occasional lightness of tone, this audiobook is quite serious in identifying and addressing a problem with how college courses are taught. The author contends that the chief point of those classes is, or ought to be, how to think about the subject... Read More

Golden Voice Grover Gardner is a familiar narrator to listeners of the Penric and Desdemona audiobooks. Using a treasure map, Penric and his demon, Desdemona, are hunting for a long-forsaken monastery that may hold valuable theological documents. They meet Roz, a bandit who has eyes only for the treasure map, and, of course, adventure ensues. This novella set in the World of... Read More

Karissa Vacker narrates this slow-burn romance set in the publishing world with verve and enthusiasm. Bryony Page, whose warmth and slightly frantic manner come through in Vacker's expressive tones, heads off to her first writer's conference. She hopes to find a literary agent to sell her debut novel, inspired by her beloved grandmother's creation of a center to teach English... Read More

Author Stephan Kesting narrates the harrowing story of his six-week thousand-mile canoe trip in the Canadian North following a life-saving kidney transplant. His solo trip is fraught with danger, such as bears and other wildlife, as well as the weather and the water itself. This journey is also filled with joy--at the kindness of strangers met along the way, at the wonders of... Read More

Charles Johnston deftly presents the horrors of London's Great Fire and plague. Listeners meet two inquisitors, prominent Jacob Standish and Abby Harcourt, Samuel Pepys's housemaid. Together, they're hot on the trail of a murderous plague doctor. Johnston's Abby is assertive despite her lower status, and Jacob commands respect even though he's clumsy and impetuous. They're a... Read More

This history of Black baseball runs a chronological course from the mid-19th century to the present day. It's narrated by a cast led by JD Jackson, whose calming tone fits well. Occasionally, he changes his voice when quoting someone--always keeping within the character. The audiobook includes passages delivered by two other narrators--a good choice, since these sidebars are... Read More

Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky arrive at a controversial treatment center that promises relief through extended sleep. They're all being treated for loss and heartache, and their diverse stories create an engaging tableau. The outstanding group of narrators juggle this journey of loss, hope, and uncertainty. Ava, a book illustrator, struggles with guilt, while Ray, a firefighter,... Read More

Aasiya Shah and Kishore Walker bring the ancient Mauryan Empire, 321-185 BCE, in what is now India, into our current moment in the first installment of the Obsidian Throne trilogy. Shakti, a pacifist witch, seeks to avenge her aunt's murder, while Prince Ashoka advocates for his tyrannical family to stop ruthlessly killing the witches. Voicing Shakti as she infiltrates the... Read More

Listeners join retired diplomat Sam Hough as he heads to Paris to track down a woman and her child on behalf of a dying friend. He's also using the trip as an opportunity to reconnect with an old flame. As Sam becomes embroiled in the Paris underworld, he soon realizes there's more to his quest than meets the eye. Narrator Ryan Haugen is the perfect match for this thriller. He... Read More

Narrator Amanda Ronconi enlivens the story of Jess Bricker, a wedding proposal orchestrator, as she accompanies Diana, a snobby former classmate, on a pre-bridal retreat. Jess is dragged off to the exclusive Golden Ash resort by Diana, whose "surprise" proposal Jess has been hired to plan. While there, Jess finds two dead bodies and develops a friendship with the owners of the... Read More

The topic of this audiobook--the evolution of language--requires a wide range of skills. Actor Emma Spurgin-Hussey's rich, expressive voice demonstrates the linguistic relationships and shifts. Her performance is adept in every syllable and accent. Why do so many of today's languages share a common Eurasian root? Linguists and archaeologists find answers in similarities and... Read More

Keeping track of the wide range of accents of a cast of characters from multiple countries--New Zealand, London, France, and Hungary, to name a few--is a daunting task. English actor Bessie Carter does just that in this delightful crumpet of historical fiction. Carter employs her best BBC English for famed mystery author Dorothy L. Sayers, who spearheads the effort to form a... Read More

John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan's newest Dee and Lao historical mystery is full of cross-cultural witticisms and kung fu martial arts that narrator Daniel York Loh plays to full effect. It's 1924. Judge Dee Ren Jie is in London. Accompanied by Lao She, his admiring "Watson," he foils a nefarious plot between a Russian diplomat, a Japanese mercenary, and Chinese... Read More

Narrator Daphne Kouma wows in this epic fantasy/murder mystery/political thriller. In a society built around eight powerful animal spirits, a new emperor is chosen every 24 years when those vying for the throne compete in a series of trials. When the Raven palace's contender is found dead, scholar Neema Kraa finds herself simultaneously taking her place in the trials and... Read More

Listeners are presented with the roiling and realistic emotions of 13-year-old Elspeth Culpepper, who finds herself in the middle of the 1776 Siege of Boston. Narrator Phoebe Strole does a masterful job presenting the characters and their difficulties--from Elspeth's Loyalist master, who is forced to leave Boston, to the various members of the family for whom she becomes a... Read More

With a gentle Southern accent, Michael Crouch narrates this story about figuring out who you are. When the Pride celebration in Zeke's small town of Beggs, Alabama, is abruptly canceled, he finds himself organizing underground speakeasies. But this puts him at odds with his friends in his high school's Queer Straight Alliance, who feel like he's taking too many risks, and with... Read More

Award-winning Icelandic actor Olafur Darri Olafsson is a wonderful choice for the voice of this novel about contemporary Icelandic farmers. He speaks as Orri, the son of a cattle farmer and a Lithuanian Jewish university professor, who over the course of the novel comes to a deeper understanding of his parents and their lives. The narrator is, of course, impeccable with... Read More

Kevin R. Free narrates this fact-filled, occasionally opinionated, history of the post-WWII period when the U.S. targeted communists, trade unionists, homosexuals, progressives, and Soviet sympathizers for removal from civic life. Prodded by influential men like FBI head J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Joseph McCarthy, the government conducted intense surveillance. The House... Read More

P.J. Ochlan narrates the fourth novel in the Red Hotel series. Dan Reilly, former CIA operative/hotel executive, becomes involved in political intrigue and danger when Russian President Gorshkov implements a multifaceted plan to attack the U.S. With his uncanny ability to slip into many accents, Ochlan takes listeners across countries and continents while ratcheting up... Read More

In a voice full of optimism and Midwestern "can-do" spirit, narrator Dan Bittner recounts how a midsized Midwest city transformed itself into an economic juggernaut. Until recently, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was largely dependent on the energy sector: gas and oil. In 2020, with his founding of Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL), urbanist and social entrepreneur Nicholas Lalla set out to... Read More

Young listeners are in for a treat with this story of a grieving boy who moves with his recently widowed mom into a seventh-floor New York City walk-up with a magical wish-granting mail slot. In short order Oliver is wishing for ever pricier consumer goods to impress the kids at the snobby private school he attends on scholarship, thanks to his mom's job as a custodian there.... Read More

Gary Tiedemann gives voice to "Rhino" Rhinehart, the featured character in Lipsyte's timely, troubling coming-of-age novel. Because of an impulsive punch, the junior captain of the football team finds himself keeping a journal as part of a school therapy group. Tiedemann delivers Rhino's words in the voice of a teen who is attempting honesty and beginning to question who he... Read More

Many new audiobook histories debunk legend and traditional narratives, but this brief account of Paul Revere's storied ride argues that his warning of approaching British troops on the night of April 18, 1775, was history changing. Narrator Johnny Heller, an engaging voice for wise-guy detective fiction, unwisely pushes the action toward melodrama, thereby sacrificing the tone... Read More

This audiobook has a strong character-driven plot. Actor Jeremy Sisto is a convincing and talented performer who skillfully immerses listeners in the psyche of Corby Ledbetter, particularly with his tone. But this novel is the unremittingly dark story of a man whose life unravels. Corby, an out-of-work commercial artist, is a stay-at-home dad who has taken to morning drinking... Read More

Listeners well-versed in Greek mythology will be able to follow along more easily with Senka, Charon's assistant in ferrying the souls of the recently departed to the realm of the Dead. When she becomes involved with a Living girl, Poppy, who is on a quest to retrieve the ghost of her brother, they begin an adventure that has them encountering virtually every denizen of the... Read More

Mark Bramhall's nuanced and slyly humorous portrayal of gruff but tenderhearted PJ Halliday ensures that the 63-year-old divorced father comes across as sympathetic despite his many flaws. PJ's loneliness is mildly quelled by his daily breakfast with his patient ex-wife, Ivy, and her partner, Fred. A narrative complication occurs when PJ learns that the husband of his high... Read More

Narrator Charles Armstrong's brisk, elegant dissection of the British art market since WWII is endlessly pleasing to the ear, even when the mind wanders. This audiobook may be of limited interest since it's most likely too detailed and arcane for many listeners. One learns a great deal about the business and culture of art dealing in general and the London market's key... Read More

Narrator John Pirhalla does something outstanding in this horror audiobook: He makes what's normal seem creepy. He accomplishes this by mining that little bit of darkness inside the soul of each of author Grecian's characters. The problem starts when a grieving farmer kills the Angel of Death. After that, no one dies anymore. And that development lets loose all the dark secrets... Read More

Marin Ireland's narration of this family dramedy maximizes the humor behind finding a half-sibling--only to find out there may be dozens more. Ireland's performance captures Madeline's mix of reluctance and curiosity as she joins her newfound half-brother, Reuben, on an unexpected road trip. Ireland's subtle vocal shifts distinguish each sibling, reflecting their varied... Read More

Narrators Dan Bittner and Rebecca Lowman step flawlessly into the characters of Mike and Ruth in this digital-age thriller. Through Mike's and Ruth's alternating chapters, we follow Ruth, a 20-something hacker, as she flees Mike and other government agents who want to recruit her skills. Bittner convincingly portrays Mike in a boy-next-door tone, subtly exposing his... Read More

Golden Voice Soneela Nankani projects the conviction of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi in making a case for and following through on a world-changing march to demonstrate resistance to British colonial rule. Neal Bascomb provides a detailed and authentic narrative drawn from oral history, newspapers, and sources that allow listeners to understand the frustration felt by Indians,... Read More

Three narrators present the story of a young, renowned playwright, Sarah, who died in a fall off the cliffs of Capri thirty years ago. Every year since, her wealthy family has returned for a week at a lush villa. This year, Sarah's daughter, Helen, portrayed by Carlotta Brentan, is shaken by the appearance of the necklace her mother was wearing the night she died. Brentan... Read More

Eunice Wong narrates a delicious contemporary romance. Ellie Pang has Type 1 diabetes and has always had her family micromanaging her life. After turning down a marriage proposal and having it go viral for the wrong reasons, Ellie moves to the other side of the country to chase her dream of opening up a sugar-free bakery. Her new store turns out to need loads of renovations,... Read More

Lisa Flanagan uses the entire box of crayons to depict this mystery's colorful characters, who are led by a doozy of a Franco-American crime boss, Babs Dionne. The drug-running queenpin featured in Currie's bloody revenge tale runs the town of Waterville, Maine, with impunity until someone murders her youngest daughter, Sis. You can almost hear Flanagan's lips curl in blind... Read More

First known for her iconic role as John Cusack's love interest in SAY ANYTHING, Ione Skye speaks candidly of her acting career, the Hollywood scene, and her love interests. Her voice has an enthusiastic and captivating tone as she tells listeners about her life's journey, starting with childhood and moving to her years as a high school dropout and how she became the woman she... Read More

Narrators Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter deliver a heartbreaking and uplifting duet narration featuring a geographically challenged couple. Samantha, a marketing rep of mustard, and Xavier, a surly veterinarian, spend their first date locked overnight in an escape room. Shortly after, Samantha goes to California to care for her mother, who has dementia. Lakin communicates a... Read More

Matt Godfrey's horrifying first-person portrayal of the serial killer Dan Morley is perfect for this first novel by Robert Bloch, author of the 1960 movie PSYCHO. Dan is molested by a teacher and later becomes a successful author/screenwriter who leaves a trail of mayhem behind him. The 1949 setting comes alive with Godfrey's dynamic delivery of timely jargon--such as "swell"... Read More

Narrator Josh Bloomberg takes listeners through a novel that explores the grief and mysteries of our childhood that plague our adulthood. Culture writer Jacob Goldberg must create a successful podcast for his company, or he'll lose his cherished spot at the magazine he's worked at for decades. After speaking with a former high school crush about his need for a topic worth... Read More

Rebecca Stern cheerfully narrates this illustrated biography of scientist Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), whose pioneering work on maize genetics helped form our understanding of DNA. Stern's playful narration of McClintock's early life portrays her as a tree-climbing, baseball-playing child who grew into a determined young woman who was willing to ignore norms so she could... Read More

Narrators Jennifer Jill Araya and Emily Lawrence perform this complicated thriller about dangerous room shares and hidden personalities. Broke and injured yoga instructor Emily Hawthorne is in debt and desperately in need of a roommate in expensive San Francisco. Things are frustrating enough when squatter Pip Stone tricks Emily into getting a room in her condo, but the... Read More

Crown Prosecutor Eve Wren finds herself in the middle of the trial of the decade in this riveting audiobook filled with well-crafted characters and dialogue. Moira Quirk is a superb choice as narrator. She skillfully develops each character, yet with deft use of inflection and vocal modulation the focus remains on Wren. As she reviews all the evidence to make sure the... Read More

Golden Voice Robert Petkoff uses his rich voice to awaken the romance between vampire Kosmina Daiano and sorcerer Silt Harea. When Kosmina is wounded and cursed with bloodlust, she is sent to the hell realm called Nightside, where she encounters Silt, who was banished there by Kosmina's brother. Petkoff ably ratchets up the tension as Kosmina and Silt fight off ghouls and other... Read More

Andrew Eiden charmingly performs this first-person story of Denny Voss, which recounts a series of misunderstandings that lead to his conundrums and, eventually, his arrest for murder. Thirty-year-old Denny is cognitively challenged, and Eiden's portrayal displays Denny's persistent optimism and heart of gold in a natural way. As each of his well-intentioned... Read More

This audiobook is the harrowing story of attorney Piper Danes and her quest to track down a deadly stalker. While serving as a guardian ad litem, Danes is assigned the case of Sophie Grace, a teenager who is the lone survivor of a brutal family massacre. Saskia Maarleveld is an outstanding narrator. When the audiobook begins, Maarleveld is subtle and understated as she details... Read More

Maria McCann flawlessly portrays two elderly Robin Hoods. Listeners meet the former high school sweethearts who reunite in their new retirement home. Their differences show McCann at her best, with gritty Beth and hesitant Barry forming an indomitable team who fight to right social wrongs. Laughs abound as they use a can of SPAM to deactivate their tracking device as they score... Read More

In her war-torn country, Mila Kiss has been falsely accused by her brother-in-law of murdering her sister. To make matters worse, her sister's children have disappeared. Mila quickly signs up for a refugee program that will send her to England. Narrator Frankie Porter portrays Mila as soft-spoken but very much a loner. Porter clearly presents the complicated circumstances that... Read More

Kristen Sieh's performance brings the listener into the life of a complicated woman whose sexual desire is fixated on commercial airliners. Lisa works as an online comment moderator in San Francisco. She's good at her job, but she reserves her passion for airplanes. She perceives flights as dates, turbulence as flirtation--and a smooth flight could lead to something more.... Read More

Jones's debut novel continually shifts between Margaret's traumatic girlhood and her current life. She's a divorced mom with two daughters, a dominating mother, an earnest ex, and a new boyfriend whom she enjoys, especially sexually. Narrator Rebecca Lowman embraces her character's inner life. Lowman's tone and tempo are just right as she voices Margaret's anxious thoughts and... Read More

Careful and culturally conscious casting ensures that this audiobook about First Nations residents of Winnipeg pulses with authentic voices. The ensemble cast brings to life the young members of the St. Croix High School hockey team and their community. The story unfolds in chapters that each foreground a different character and are distinct in perspective and tone. Together,... Read More

Karissa Vacker carries most of the narrative load in this delightful "coming-of-retirement-age" novel. Exploring the ins and outs of aging and what those changes all mean to a long-term relationship, Vacker brings both Kim and Grant to life, as well as a quirky cast of characters in Palm Springs as the couple seeks to escape winter in the Midwest. When Grant goes missing from a... Read More

Psychologist William von Hippel tackles the human dilemma of wanting to feel free and accepted simultaneously. Josh Bloomberg's narration helps listeners understand that balancing these two desires, instead of choosing one over the other, is the key to happiness. Using a strong and reassuring approach, Bloomberg smoothly explains the friction humans feel between connection and... Read More

Nene Nwoko narrates this story about a magical West African world where teens receive and navigate magical gifts and powers. Each teen generally gets one gift, and deviating from that norm frightens the village. Even being born a twin is considered outside acceptable norms. Listeners will be enchanted by Somadina as she searches for her missing twin, Jayaike, and learns to... Read More

Narrators Joshua Manning and Stina Nielsen transport the listener to Scotland, where travel writer Katie Campbell, known for her misadventures, is taking part in an Edwardian experience. Graeme MacKerrow has leased his ancestral home to an English couple for the three-week event. Both narrators skillfully handle the Scots, American, and English accents. Manning in particular... Read More

To push back against the stereotype that all people on the autism spectrum are cisgender white men, editors Clem Bastow and Jo Case have brought together 25 women and gender-diverse autistic writers. They delve into their lived experiences, which include finding passions, recovering from eating disorders, experimenting with sexual expression, and exploring gender identity. An... Read More

Ana Clements performs an engrossing story about a child psychologist, Mina, who investigates the haunting of a girl named Alice in the English countryside. A handsome journalist offers to bring Mina to the tiny town where Alice claims to be haunted by a witch. Clements imbues the characters with vibrant accents and embodies Mina with engaging earnestness. Clements also plays... Read More

Róisín Rankin narrates this action-packed story set at an elite Dublin school. Listeners meet a group of 16-year-olds who are hospitalized after a bomb blast in their chemistry lab. Was it an accident or a deliberate act? Each chapter presents a different viewpoint, as well as a mysterious countdown hinting at a more sinister event to come. Focusing on classmates Jess and... Read More

One of the masterpieces of modernist American fiction, this may be a book that is better listened to than read. The intellectually challenged mind of Benjy Compson, voiced here by Golden Voice Edoardo Ballerini, is more easily entered via the ears than the eyes, and Bronson Pinchot's portrayal of Benjy's brother, the thoroughly reprehensible Jason Compson, is the nightmare he... Read More

A full cast gives a wonderfully vibrant performance of Jason Reynolds's powerful story about found family and music. Nile Bullock heads up the ensemble as 18-year-old Stuyvesant (Stuy), an avid drummer. When he moves out because of his mom's new boyfriend, he meets Dunks, a genius on the guitar, and then Alexis (bass) and Keith (trumpet), all of whom love music just as much as... Read More

Erifyli Gigante's voice captures the mounting dread that fills this updated gothic fantasy. The story opens with a mother recounting a fairy tale to her son. The story soon turns dark as listeners are treated to a bloody account of Bluebeard, a man who marries--then murders--many women. Gigante delivers the audiobook's creepy mood effectively. Ghosts appear to the wives,... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld brings magic and warmth to her narration of this contemporary fantasy-romance. Calliope Petredi and her sisters are witches who are bound to protect their town from sinister magic, but they must sacrifice memories to perform their spells. Maarleveld crafts distinct voices for each of the sisters--bright-voiced Calliope, the only sister who is willing to... Read More

Indiana Jones meets "Quantum Leap" in this thrilling new science fiction series, splendidly performed by Roger Wayne. Twenty years after a failed attempt at going back in time to retrieve a long-lost gold menorah and leaving behind his mentee/partner, Aaron, Dr. Rabbit Ward tries again--this time in 535 C.E. Constantinople. Once there, he establishes some connections in the... Read More

A group of acclaimed narrators delivers an absorbing performance of David Baldacci's new novel. In 1944 London, well-born 15-year-old Molly, 14-year-old Charlie from London's East Side, and Ignatius Oliver, a bereaved bookshop owner, are flung together to forge a found family in the midst of war. While the writing suggests a young adult novel, the complex story will certainly... Read More

Ari Fliakos expertly delivers this timely audiobook about how some Americans get geographically trapped, preventing them from accessing better livelihoods. Appelbaum's research takes aim at the use of neighborhood covenants, codes, and other systemic tools to prevent diversification. Relating to these issues, housing costs have skyrocketed in the most desirable neighborhoods,... Read More

Is this audiobook delivered by a full cast? No, just the immensely talented Hillary Huber. In this second installment of The Martini Club series, Huber crafts distinct voices for each male and female character, immersing listeners in the search for a missing teenage girl in the club's hometown of Purity, Maine. The retired CIA agents of the Martini Club use their skills to stay... Read More

Melinda Sewak primarily narrates this horror audiobook about a Haitian American teen whose zombie abilities are grounded in Haitian folklore. Brielle's mother suffers from chronic pain, and despite working for the billionaire family whose company makes the pain medication she needs, her health insurance doesn't cover it. Brielle's new internship gives her access to ultra-rich... Read More

Selina Li Bi's debut YA audiobook tells the story of 15-year-old Chinese-Filipino teen Jasmine Cheng, who tries to uncover the answers to questions surrounding her personal history. Cindy Kay is the voice of Jasmine as she struggles to keep her homelife stable; get her troubled, free-spirited mother to share her truth; and find a way to navigate a world she sees as a threat.... Read More

Jefferson White shows remarkable skill balancing a youthful cast with the sobering reality they must face. Twenty-four years before Katniss's games, Haymitch, from District 12, must compete in the Hunger Games--with twice the tributes (competitors). White's perfect pacing adds intensity to the brutality of the games and lingering melancholy as Haymitch struggles to maintain his... Read More

Sarah Perry performs her collection of micro essays, which revolve around her love of candy. Each essay highlights a different confectionery sweet, which she uses to contemplate her relationships, ideas around humanity's pursuit of pleasure, or memory's connection to taste and smell. Perry perfectly describes the experience of eating each candy--every delightful texture and... Read More

Russell Shorto is an author who can narrate his audiobooks as effectively as any professional. In voice, Shorto is personable, assured, and exact--much like his narratives. This history of the English acquisition of Dutch New Amsterdam follows Shorto's bestselling ISLAND AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD, which covered the Dutch settlement of Manhattan. Once again, Shorto emphasizes... Read More

Marin Ireland's skillful third-person narration engages listeners in a complex plot that shifts through multiple points of view and timelines. Close attention is required to follow the characters and the secrets they're determined to keep. The author plants seeds about the twenty-year-old murders of a group of young women, tangled relationships, and the present-day story, which... Read More

Canadian guitarist Rik Emmett is still making good music at the age of 71. His most recent recording is a collection of 10 instrumental pieces showcasing the iconic Fender Telecaster guitar. These "liner notes" reflect on the unique characteristics of the guitar and the creative process, as well as a fair share of mundane musings. Emmett's voice is still robust, and his... Read More

Jeffrey Seller, producer of some of the most original, innovative, and memorable Broadway musicals, narrates this no-nonsense, completely engaging memoir. Other voices portraying his parents, friends, and famous collaborators add sincerity and depth to his story. Growing up in a Detroit suburb, Seller always felt like an outsider, partly because he was adopted and partly... Read More

Fans of world literature will sink into this latest offering by a Nobel laureate from Britain who was born in Tanzania. The story illuminates the intertwined nature of our lives--even in contemporary society. Ashley Zhangazha's delivery brings nuance to this coming-of-age story set in a changing Tanzania. His performance captures the distinct rhythms of each character,... Read More

Golden Voice Dion Graham brings clarity and compassion to Goldstone's heartbreaking exposé of the housing issues faced by Atlanta's working poor. Graham's warm voice and understated delivery illuminate the suffering of families who work hard, often at more than one job, and yet cannot afford the escalating rent in the third- fastest-growing metropolitan area in the U.S. The... Read More

Aida Reluzco's narration brings depth to each character in this coming-of-age novel, which follows eight Italian women from vastly different backgrounds as they navigate the complexities of education, independence, and societal expectations. Banned in 1938 by the Fascist government, this story paints a wide picture of Italian womanhood. Some arrive at college eager to learn,... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani takes listeners on a heartfelt journey of self-discovery in this sentimental romance. Everything about Mira Salvi's life seems to be falling perfectly into place. She has a great job and is engaged to a man who adores her. However, when she travels to New York City alone on an engagement trip, she stumbles across a lost ring that soon... Read More

Narrator Mirai skillfully brings new life to an old classic with this arresting audiobook. Low's story is a reimagining of PETER PAN told from the perspective of Captain Hook. In this case, the woman who would become Hook is Jordan, who was a Lost Boy until puberty struck and she was forced to return to the real world. Since she returned with an addiction to magic dust, adult... Read More

Narrator Matt Godfrey evokes a dark mood in this Appalachian thriller set in Eastern Kentucky. Burl Spoon is an organized crime boss who has built his business empire by becoming the top cannabis seller in Jackson County. Spoon thinks he has everything under control, but when his daughter relapses into drug addiction and goes missing, Spoon's world is turned upside down.... Read More

Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy provide an alternating narration of this audiobook about two 20-something British Iranian friends. Shirin and Kian meet again after 10 years and embark on a romantic relationship. Gilles depicts Shirin, an assistant editor, who is subjected to racist microaggressions in the workplace. Shirin is outraged when the publishing house... Read More

Abigail Reno narrates a unique variation on the time-travel genre in which a woman travels to the past via her traumatic memories. Beth has built a machine that allows the human mind to travel back in time. But there are two caveats: The mind can travel only within its own lifetime and can observe the past for only 90 seconds. Reno imbues Beth with pathos as she deals with the... Read More

Randall's audiobook recounts the challenges six women bore in order to make an ascent of Denali in Alaska more than 50 years ago. The "Denali Damsels" encountered misogyny at every turn, as well as the extreme elements. Narrator Amanda Dolan guides the story with the right inflections of emotion, which are important since the women had very different personalities. Frustration... Read More

Leslie Howard's narration highlights the emotional upheaval and deep-seated anxiety of college student Jane Sharp. After her father's death, Jane finds solace in an online group of true-crime enthusiasts. Jane assists the group with some early cases, but when the murders of three college women in Idaho hit the news, Jane becomes obsessed. Howard delivers an edgy, slightly... Read More

Nashville actor, comedian, and activist Tyler Merritt performs this rollicking account of his treatment for cancer and the life lessons it provoked. Full of spontaneous asides and unscripted conversations with his producer, co-writer, and others, the soundscape is enormously entertaining. Merritt's vocal theatrics are outrageous and often funny but, for most listeners, will not... Read More

Anyone who's ever loved a dog will be engaged by this winning production. Author Friedman, aka The Dogist, known for his "dog on the street" photos of dogs in New York City and around the world, is a warm and charming narrator of his own work. Friedman explores the cultural and sociological history of humans and dogs, and listeners learn about how he became The Dogist. He... Read More

Kelly Mullen's debut audiobook takes us to isolated, car-free Mackinac Island, Michigan, where a charity auction is a cover-up for blackmail that leads to murder. Narrator Lesley Sharp brings a large cast to life as a snowstorm strands guests and bodies begin to pile up. Widowed Mimi, longtime resident and feisty amateur sleuth, has a confident voice and a secret. She invites... Read More

With a wonderful brogue, Caroline Lennon narrates this cozy mystery about an Irish shepherd who is found dead with a spade through his body. George loved his sheep, so the animals are determined to solve his murder. These sheep can speak to each other and have reasoning skills but cannot communicate with humans. They understand most human speech, but human motives and some... Read More

Narrator Kevin R. Free's emotional connection to the dark, romantic audiobook tugs at listeners' heartstrings. Teenaged George, a vampire, is about to lose his life partner, James, to old age. Free's tone projects George's slowly breaking heart, even as a new opportunity for romance appears. Howard can't wait to finish high school, where he feels frustrated at the lack of... Read More

An earthquake has hit Portland, Oregon, causing widespread chaos, and a woman is trying to find a way home. Ariel Blake narrates this story of nine-months-pregnant Annie, who must find a way to reach her husband and make her way home from crib-shopping through the widespread disorder that has resulted from the quake. Blake's dramatic narration captures Annie's fears and... Read More

With previous books on entrepreneurship and travel behind him, author Chris Guillebeau now offers this eye-opening guide to taking the stress out of managing our time. He makes his case with multiple examples of how we needlessly put pressure on ourselves--with oppressive deadlines, indecision about priorities, and constant worry about how to make our lives meaningful. He's a... Read More

In these six moving, thought-provoking essays, originally delivered as the Norton Lectures at Harvard, Viet Thanh Nguyen explores what it mean to write as an "other" and what "otherness"--literary, artistic, cultural, and political--has to teach us about solidarity and art making in times of violence and rising global fascism. Blending literary criticism, political commentary,... Read More

Liam Gerrard narrates the final book in the fantasy series featuring Thara Celehar, former Witness for the Dead of Amalo. Contemplating what to do now that he has lost his life-defining skill, Celehar learns there is more than one way to fulfill a calling. Gerrard deftly navigates Celehar's pain, anger, and grief at the loss of his professional identity, creating a thread in... Read More

Betty Shamieh portrays Arabella, a New York City director descended from a long line of Palestinian women. Grandmother Zoya and daughter Naya are performed by Jacqueline Antaramian and Lameece Issaq. The women passionately share how their traditions provide strength in the face of adversity. Together, they pour out these characters' stories with humor, sarcasm, and respect for... Read More

This audiobook is a contemporary take on the classic epistolary novel. Hillary Huber narrates the story of two transplanted chefs from New York who end up in the hick town of Goodnight, Kansas, after a business disaster. Besides dealing with culture shock, the Solvang family ends up confronting a polluting tire company, the town's major employer. The novel is told through a... Read More

Narrator Sanya Simmons gives listeners a straightforward performance of former Secret Service Agent Cheryl Tyler's memoir. The first Black woman to serve on a Presidential Protection Detail (PPD) in the 1990s, Simmons shares the determination, integrity, and passion that propelled her throughout her challenging career. She describes her early life--the indelible impact of "The... Read More

Narrator Christa Lewis summons an intriguing world of mystics in this Magical Trinket mystery set in the contemporary mortal realm. When a deadly assassin's trinket is stolen from a visiting diplomat, Dovey Van Dalen, a fashionable, quick-witted 200-year-old mystic (aka "bonded") investigator, must use her enchanted toolkit to solve the case. As trinket-related deaths in a... Read More

Mack Gordon embraces the anger and frustration of seventh-grader Finn, whose father, a 9/11 hero, died during the Covid pandemic. Gordon reserves especially intense sarcasm for Finn's overdue poetry assignments and his attitude toward the reparation he must perform for vandalizing a notable hiking trail: In one summer he must hike 46 Adirondack High Peaks. Gordon's narration... Read More

Dara Rosenberg excels at narrating this emotional audiobook, which begins as seventh-grader Becky is dressing for her older sister Sara's funeral. Rosenberg leads listeners from the sad "Now" chapter to the lighter "Before" chapters, when Becky secretly "borrows" her mother's credit card to get her beloved older brother a gift. The theme of secrets is introduced against the... Read More

Actor and Audubon Society Board Director Lili Taylor's quick and breathy initial delivery settles into a gentle, engaged exploration of the world of birding and its profound influence on her life. Her awareness of the natural world shifted during an emotional sabbatical, which began her journey. She began paying closer daily attention and taking "awe walks" through cityscapes... Read More

Narrator Rachel Leblang brings to life two romance stories in this audiobook. In the first, Skye asks her neighbor, Ford, to help deter a potential boyfriend. In the process of getting to know each other, they adopt two dogs together. Skye's twin sister is staying with her, and Leblang provides contrasting voices that match each sister's personality. At first, Ford and Skye are... Read More

With his slightly raspy timbre and resigned tone, narrator Tim Lounibos hits just the right notes for this twisty cyber-whodunit. Lounibos plays his part straight, which is a wise move considering that the plot of this noir satire is fast and funny. Set in the 22nd century, the story features Orr Vue, who is investigating a murder that is part of a massive conspiracy. Think... Read More