New Reviews by Title: U-Z

Kevin R. Free's upbeat approach to this fun deep dive into the making of a dictionary adds to its charms. Well suited to word geeks, the audiobook explores the evolution of the modern dictionary while chronicling the author's stint as a lexicographer in training at Merriam-Webster. There, he encounters past and present word-mad professionals; learns the stringent, sometimes... Read More

Annie Wildwood uses magic to present herself as the perfect baker, fashionista, friend, witch, and conversationalist in order to appease everyone around her. Unexpectedly becoming a mentor to a chaotic teen witch forces Annie to face her insecurities and to reconsider what is really important in her life. Narrator Evie Hargreaves' northern English accent accentuates the... Read More

Crowe shares the stories behind his careers in music journalism, filmmaking, and musicals with a storyteller's relish. The idea of "uncool," a badge of honor bestowed on a young Crowe by rock critic Lester Bangs, underlies this memoir about a kid from San Diego. The author, whose early career as a teenage rock journalist for Rolling Stone in the 1970s became the inspiration for... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw narrates this contemporary paranormal romance featuring a small-town Christmas with a vampire twist. Tiffenie Ruba is a 300-year-old vampire who desperately needs to get her life in order. When she unexpectedly inherits a bed-and-breakfast business in rural Vermont, she'll finally have the opportunity to live her Hallmark fantasies. However, she'll have to... Read More

The tag team of Sarah Skaer and Arthur Keng narrates the interconnected episodes in this novel featuring different characters spread throughout thousands of years. Some of the protagonists are children, others are adults; some are humans, others are mutants or clones. They live in isolated communities, each with a different culture and history. AI mothers raise the children,... Read More

David Horovitch's performance has a professorial quality that suits this novel well. It's the early 20th century, and Razumov, a Russian student, becomes a revolutionary, reluctantly turning to life as a spy. Horovitch's deep voice and regal phrasing make Conrad's complex syntax accessible to listeners. Themes of betrayal, identity, and freedom all take part in the development... Read More

Austin Ku's understated narration evokes the melancholy atmosphere of this haunting coming-of-age story set in the world of competitive table tennis. The novel opens with a tragedy: Ryan Lo, a table tennis prodigy, is dead at age 24. At his funeral his parents wait for his usually punctual longtime coach, Kristian, to arrive. The narrative then moves back in time, unfolding... Read More

Krysta Gonzales' energy propels listeners through a vivid urban-fantasy world. As Joan Greenwood returns to New York City and becomes entangled in a supernatural power struggle, Gonzales' narration keeps the momentum strong and the characters engaging. Her delivery captures Joan's insecurity about her limited magic skills while allowing listeners to observe her determination... Read More

Blind disability activist Molly Burke returns to narrate her second memoir, which is focused on feeling unseen in a sighted world. While this second effort mines territory similar to that in her earlier memoir, "It's Not What It Looks Like," there's more good information and inspiration. Burke's positive tone and down-to-earth personality make this a delightful listen. She's... Read More

Jaunty, crisp, and irreverent, Genevieve Gaunt's performance of this audiobook suits the content well. Emma is a 19th-century British heroine whose fictitious journal captures a wide array of characters and period-appropriate shenanigans. Gaunt provides a distinctive accent, attitude, and voice for every character, and the result is engaging. The pace is consistent and... Read More

Janina Edwards narrates this homage to the eldritch horror of Lovecraft and King. A diverse group of people become stranded on an island off the coast of Antarctica after an unspecified cataclysm. Throughout the story, breaks in the narrative are represented by white noise. While their purpose is to simulate the memory lapses of the protagonist, the jarring results initially... Read More

"Bridgerton" heartthrob Luke Thompson performs this novel with restraint, ensuring that the self-deluded first-person narrator is fully believable. The setting, Venice in 1899, has a gloss of wrongdoing. The protagonist, an unsuccessful English writer named Evelyn Dohlman, is a morally ambiguous soul. He speaks no Italian, and his recent bride, an American heiress, has cooled... Read More

This audiobook will be equally enjoyable for middle-grade and gentle young adult listeners. Jennifer Hale narrates the story of a teen witch-in-training who is determined to help the isolated town of Foxfire. Twenty years earlier, a magician traveled to the Appalachian town, seeking more power. Slowly, he became more and more malicious until he cast a curse over the town. But... Read More

Listeners will hear the prequel to CHOCOLAT from the voice of the author herself, Joanne Harris. After her nomadic mother's passing, pregnant 21-year-old Vianne follows the wind to Marseille. With her special magic and charm, Vianne learns to cook from both a grumpy bistro owner who has lost his son and wife, and an upstart chocolatier who fights for authenticity in his career... Read More

In her clear, expressive voice, bilingual narrator M.L. Sanchez tells the exciting story of mouse siblings Vida and Máximo. The town of Moustepec was once happy, but the threat of a cat forces residents to stay home. There are no more fiestas, no more fireworks, and no more music. When a scary encounter with the cat results in Vida's dream about a fantastical creature called an... Read More

In this third entry in the series, narrator Jack de Golia portrays unofficial PI Bobby McGowan, who reluctantly agrees to unravel the truth behind a possible snuff video filmed 30 years earlier. De Golia portrays Bobby with a youthful guy-next-door voice that matches Bobby's personality. He skillfully differentiates male characters--young and old, heroes and villains. His... Read More

This gripping historical thriller is compellingly narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir. The story takes place in Vienna in 1938, just as Germany has annexed Austria and begun its relentless campaign against Jews. Greta Kolbe is an 18-year-old Jewish girl who joins the Austrian resistance and becomes a target of the Gestapo. The majority of the audiobook chronicles her perils,... Read More

This atmospheric, otherworldly, splendidly performed novel has a serious premise: the cost of greed. K.J. Boone, a rapacious oilman at the end of his life, is visited by ghosts. The three main narrators are splendid. Judy Greer, as the youthful Jill "Doll" Blaine, the wraith tasked with Boone's exit, plays the role with empathy, remarkable pace, and just the right tone. MacLeod... Read More

Satirizing the upper classes has long been popular in literature, and this audiobook takes the genre to the next level, thanks to a dizzying performance by Nico Evers-Swindell. Set between the World Wars in the era of "bright young things," the story has an on-again, off-again romance (of sorts) at its heart. A wide array of characters orbits the silly couple, and... Read More

Jensen Olaya and Joel de la Fuente share narration duties in this tale of a family haunted by the shadows of their past. Olaya primarily plays the part of Sophie, an outsider invited to the ancestral home of the Filipino Sepulveda family. Fuente takes over the role of Javiar, an exiled member of the family. While Sophie and Javiar have distinct points of view that might merit... Read More

Easterly's examination of the history, economics, and ethics of colonialism and the often demeaning "development" of the Third World is delivered by Fred Sanders. Generally, he narrates at a good pace with clarity, textual understanding, and an amiable manner. His slightly hoarse timbre is agreeable enough, but there's a certain woodenness to his diction, partly due to... Read More

Emma Ladji's narration ensures that this romantasy has engaging moments. Violet has spent her entire life carrying out the evil deeds of a dark sorcerer. Now that he's dead, she's determined to use her powers for good, so she reinvents herself as the owner of a flower shop. But reinvention is more difficult than she imagined. She must share her greenhouse with her prickly... Read More

The bestselling author, a Harvard instructor and renowned communication coach, teaches listeners how to apply his winning strategies in the digital landscape. He draws upon communication luminaries to illustrate each of his lessons. Hearing a recording of President John F. Kennedy convincing the country to explore space, Malala Yousafzai talk about why culturally-specific... Read More

British actor Matt Addis whisks listeners off to a star system 37 light years away. There, a gentleman explorer who is guided by a number of mystical women travels through several deserted surreal landscapes to better understand himself and his relationship to the world around him. This novel, first published in 1920, is a deep and demanding dive. A serious allegory, it caught... Read More

A full-cast performance of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS uses immersive soundscapes, realistic effects, and shifting musical tones to heighten the terror of an alien invasion. Voices are distinct and sharply drawn. Keith Burnett imbues his performance with calm authority that fractures into mounting dread, and Noelle Dupuis brings urgent emotional clarity. Supporting actors add texture... Read More

This extensive, thoughtful, and well-researched biography of the martial arts great Bruce Lee smoothly draws the listener in. Lee was an enigma in some ways, and author Chang has captured his life, which was cut short at age 32. Narrator James Chen deftly uses slight shifts in his voice when delivering quotes. He maintains control of his tone, making shifts when appropriate but... Read More

Amy Bowers Cordalis, general counsel and member of the Yurok Nation, tells the complex story of her family's multigenerational part in the restoration of the Klamath River. From time immemorial, Bowers Cordalis' people have fished the Klamath, which covers 257 miles from southern Oregon to northern California. But when the U.S. government dammed the river, the water became... Read More

Christian Coulson's narration is beautifully enhanced by inspiring flute music and immersive sound effects. Norbury's story introduces listeners of all ages to the fundamental principles of a peaceful life rooted in Zen Buddhism. Coulson's portrayals of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon offer teachable moments filled with gentle warmth and practical insights as they address complex... Read More

Teen Korero has never met a stranger; her isolated island community and talking parrot are her entire world. Narrator Waikamania Seve's low pitch and warm tone subtly reflect Korero's fear as island resources dwindle. The arrival of mysterious travelers from the wealthy but brutal Tongan empire offers her people a chance at survival. To save them, Korero must use the wisdom of... Read More

Somewhat Dickensian and somewhat Shakespearean, Anthony Hopkins' memoir is a fascinating, articulate, and deeply moving listen. Actor Kenneth Branagh, Hopkins' close friend, movingly performs the memoir, sounding in timbre, tone, and nuanced pacing very much like the listener might imagine Hopkins to sound today. In this loosely chronological effort, Branagh brings listeners... Read More

Brian Buckbee gives his memoir a careful, unadorned narration. He pulls listeners in close as he weaves the story of his encounter with an injured pigeon in Montana after the loss of his partner and the onset of a debilitating neurological condition. As Buckbee describes taking in the bird he eventually names Two-Step, his pacing reflects the slowed, pensive tone of days shaped... Read More

Julian Brave NoiseCat delivers a tribute, a social history, and an insightful series of reports from Indian Country. His knowledge of Northwest Salish languages and folkways informs this finely written and thoughtfully delivered audiobook. NoiseCat's witty and erudite pieces on the mythology of Coyote, his unflinching accounts of the horrors of Canadian boarding schools, and... Read More

The diverse narrations that make up this anthology are consistently captivating. This audiobook started as a social justice project, with authors invited to envision possible futures. The result is a fascinating collection of speculative pieces, each delivered with powerful performances. Some highlights: Je Nie Fleming captures the vulnerability of an athlete whose genetic... Read More

Narrators Naruto Komatsu and Natsumi Kuroda capture the magic of cats and their influence on our lives. In an alley in Kyoto, a unique mental health clinic materializes when people who are struggling with problems need help. There, a playful doctor and his impossibly difficult nurse prescribe cats as a form of medication. Lighthearted bonds are presented between humans and the... Read More

Cousins Avery and Jax don't have much in common, including their feelings about a summer at their family's crumbling island vacation home. She thinks it's a great adventure, and he'd rather be anywhere else. Narrator Kate Coventry embodies Avery's open, exuberant, and sometimes thoughtless behavior, while Pete Cross makes clear to listeners how much quiet Jax is impacted by his... Read More

VyVy Nguyen delivers a powerful performance of this coming-of-age horror novel. Fourteen-year-old "Ronny" Nguyen's brother, Tommy, the pride of their Vietnamese immigrant parents, will soon be the first in their family to go to college. When Tommy dies in a car accident, the family is devastated. Ronny's world further collapses when she's sexually assaulted at a party. When she... Read More

The third installment of Kingfisher's Sworn Soldier series is once again masterfully performed by Avi Roque. When Alex receives an urgent telegram from their friend, Dr. James Denton, begging them to come to America immediately, they jump on a ship bound for Boston. Denton's missing cousin, Oscar, was last seen in a West Virginia mine that is rumored to be haunted. Roque adds... Read More

In this beautifully performed audiobook, three estranged 40-something siblings, the American-born children of Taiwanese immigrants, are thrown together on a road trip requested by their seriously ill mother. Narrator Vera Chok doesn't modify her delivery to portray the responsible Boston mom, the struggling son from Chicago, and the lesbian artist living in London. Long-held... Read More

Forty years after she wrote of her father's life in HOME BEFORE DARK, Susan Cheever, eldest daughter of renowned writer John Cheever, narrates her "sequel of sorts." Using the lens of her father's work, she analyzes and finds connections between his life and hers. Cheever's delivery gives equal weight to the strands she skillfully weaves. Excerpts from her father's literary... Read More

With understated naturalism, Rob Shapiro introduces listeners to Sid Caesar, the first comic superstar of television. From 1949 to 1957, as many as 60 million viewers tuned in weekly to Caesar's inspired improvisational sketch comedy juggernauts, "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour." Caesar's writers' room of protégés such as Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Neil Simon went on... Read More

On the outskirts of Lahore, violence shatters Lalloo's family when his brother is murdered outside their home. Narrator Jassa Ahluwalia brings empathetic intensity to this novel as Lalloo leaves his family in order to earn enough to free his parents and sisters from generations of debt bondage forcing them to work as brickmakers. Giving space to both memories and present... Read More

Su Ling Chan narrates a dark historical fantasy set in 1970s Singapore. It centers on a secret society capable of channeling ancestral gods and a schoolgirl swept up into it. After Adeline's mother dies in a mysterious fire, she tracks down a girl emblazoned with the same butterfly symbol that marked the fire. Chan maintains a fantastic narration that is bright, clear, and... Read More

This history of special prosecutors--think Ken Starr, Robert Mueller, Jack Smith--is full of insider information and legal strategies that will fascinate ordinary news watchers, as well as ardent followers of Washington politics. The author, a CNN legal commentator and former U.S. attorney, uses interviews and his own impressive analytical skills to detail the histories of... Read More

Podcaster and author Don Martin takes an in-depth look at why half the U.S. population reports feeling lonely. He's a diligent and personable researcher and writer who shares personal stories and explores cultural trends that explain people's increased feelings of isolation. Martin narrates his well-organized writing with clarity and in a pleasing manner. His enthusiasm sounds... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett takes listeners to the Louisiana reservation of the fictional Takoda nation, where only fools whistle in the dark. We meet protagonist Henry Hotard in two interwoven timelines. In one, a spinal injury finds Henry in a wheelchair, angry and despairing. In the other, set roughly a year earlier, Henry chases internet fame as a ghost hunter. In both,... Read More

Hudes's audiobook is a uniquely compelling experience. April Soto lives in a multigenerational home in Philadelphia. A teen mom, April is raising her daughter, Noelle, when "white-hot" rage takes over, and she walks away. The story is written entirely as a letter from April to Noelle, which Noelle is reading 10 years later. Daphne Rubin-Vega's narration is exceptional. The... Read More

Mei Mei MacLeod narrates a magical romance that spans decades. Art appraiser Eve Shaw goes on a remarkable journey after a chance encounter in 2015 sends her to the White Octopus Hotel. MacLeod's portrayal of the relentless psychological suffering modern-day Eve experiences due to a tragic childhood accident is heartbreaking. When Eve goes back in time and visits the same hotel... Read More

Michael Beck brings his best Southern drawl to his portrayal of a wealthy, eccentric widow, Eleanor, and her small-town debt-ridden lawyer, Simon, who is eager to handle her fortune. When Eleanor dies under suspicious circumstances, evidence strongly points to Simon, who must find the true killer before he loses everything. Beck infuses his characters with drawls befitting... Read More

A found-footagestyle horror tale narrated in two voices finds a group of ghost hunters and a bevy of headless mannequins facing off at the accursed Widow's Point Lighthouse in Nova Scotia. Tristan Morris shoulders most of the load, reading out camera locations and timestamps as the group members begin to unravel. Mia Barron reads the occasional, impossibly stuffy journal... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley transports listeners to the Tumbleweed Diner in a small Texas town. Carla is a professional poker player and is down to her last dime when she wins the Tumbleweed. When Carla arrives in town, she meets Rosie the cook and Scarlett the waitress, and she is drawn into their world. Pressley voices a range of ages, and she communicates Rosie's shift from... Read More

Ranjit Madgavkar narrates these essays on how forces beyond their control--for example, war, imperialism, language, climate change--influence people's lives. His strong but clear Indian accent never lets listeners forget that author Ghosh is a native of West Bengal, a fact that explains Ghosh's strong interest in colonialism, anti-colonialism, and the history of South Asia. The... Read More

John Pirhalla deftly embodies the former Marine sniper Lew Gale, now an Orange County, California, Sheriff's Department detective, who is called to find a mountain lion that has killed a man. With experience as a tracker, he sets out to kill it. Then Gale discovers that the victim, Bennet Tarlow, a real estate-developer, was actually murdered. Gale and his new homicide... Read More

Laura Knight Keating captures every nuance--both human and doll--in this contemporary yet old-fashioned fantasy. In front of a dollhouse shop, lonely, 11-year-old Tiph captures and returns a runaway dog to its elderly Hungarian owner, Nene (Aunt) Szilvia. Spunky Tiph and Nene are Keating's standout characters, with Nene's stunning voice and accent making every appearance a... Read More

Rishøi's book includes three short stories. In the first, about a struggling mother and her daughter, narrator Jesse Vilinsky provides different voices for the characters, but these tend toward exaggeration. In the second story, a man is released from prison. Ulf Bjorklund's narration has a slight accent, with a touch of softness and rasp as the protagonist converses with a... Read More

Emily Pike Stewart's performance evokes the misty hollers of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Private investigator Annie Gore takes on a cold case in a rural Appalachian town. Ten years earlier, three girls vanished; apple head dolls were left in their place. As Annie questions the local townsfolk, she begins to suspect that whoever took the girls may still be... Read More

Narrator Lynnette R. Freeman makes this audiobook sound like a full-cast production. This historical fiction, based on the real-life pianist, actress, and Civil Rights activist Hazel Scott, opens in 1943. She meets Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a married preacher and aspiring congressman, who becomes infatuated with the young Hazel. After divorcing his wife, he marries Hazel, and... Read More

Max Meyers gives a formal performance in the vein of a dramatic play. That's no surprise since Meyers is an experienced stage actor. As a city built into the trunk of a tree is perpetually infested by gargantuan bugs, Meyers gives voice to a wide variety of characters of various stations. The production itself is crisp though some listeners might appreciate being given a... Read More

Helen Laser warmly narrates this family drama, closely matching its reflective tone. She shifts smoothly between comic observation and quiet unease as Rocky fixates on a local car accident and her own health concerns amid an otherwise uneventful middle-class life in Massachusetts. Laser captures Rocky's anxious humor and habitual self-questioning with a light touch, allowing... Read More

Robb Moreira summons a mythic tone for this original spinoff of the Aztec creation story. In Higuera's story, the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl's lesser-known brother, Xolotl, recounts "what really happened." Xolo has a dog's head, paws, and, most importantly, a love of humankind. Moreira's declamatory tones suit the epic nature of the story but also sometimes flatten the... Read More

Author and environmental journalist Alix Morris writes of her experiences with studying seals, a species once on the verge of extinction that has been saved by conservation efforts. Narrator Anna Crowe delights listeners with her passionate presentation. She captures the wonder Morris has for these animals, ensuring that listeners are engaged and moved throughout the audiobook.... Read More

It's 1975, and eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, a Hmong girl, is living in the highlands of Laos in a one-room house with her family. Then they are forced to flee. Narrator Robyn Morales lends a soft, feminine huskiness to the protagonist's voice as she describes the family's journey to a refugee camp, to gentle and thoughtful effect. The listener is transported alongside Gao Sheng... Read More

Mirai's narration gives emotional depth to 16-year-old Char Tang, who is provided an escape from her lack of prospects and her threatening stepfather by a last-minute invitation to a summer camp at MIT. Even though Char feels intellectually out of her depth compared to the other campers, she believes winning the camp's coding competition could mean a new start for her. She... Read More

This psychological thriller has all the right chilling elements: ghosts, animal sacrifices, and a haunting Pacific Northwest island setting that entraps its characters. Narrator Brittany Pressley keeps listeners on edge while also developing a compelling queer romance. After the disappearance of her best friend, Caitlyn goes off the grid as a nanny to disgraced influencer Bella... Read More

Narrator Soneela Nankani delivers a nuanced performance of this family drama. After Nikki's engagement party, her mother, Tara, announces that she's divorcing Nikki's father--a revelation that shocks the family even though Tara's unhappiness spans decades. The novel recounts Tara's journey from grad school in 1989 to her life as a mother in an arranged marriage, along with... Read More

Robert Fass's talents as a narrator shine as he inhabits a New Yorker named Bruno, who is newly arrived in Lisbon. While awaiting the arrival of his wife, Cecilia, a neuroscientist, he organizes their apartment. It soon becomes apparent that he's preparing for the end of the world. Fass carefully portrays Bruno's psychological breakdown. The fact that his only companion is his... Read More

This graphic audiobook is not for the tenderhearted. Dion Graham narrates the account of one of the most horrific incidents to occur during the Atlantic slave trade. The ZORG was a Dutch ship that was captured by British privateers off the coast of West Africa and then sent to Jamaica in 1781. As contagious illness swept through the crew and the 244 enslaved people aboard, a... Read More