New Reviews by Title: U-Z

Rosalyn Landor's meticulous and energetic narration sets the mood for a mystery-filled train trip. Sisters Jaundice and Kale Bland are whisked off by magician Magique (a.k.a. Aunt Shallot) to assist in her next evening of magic. Little do they know that they'll become detectives for the train's many mysteries, including the disappearance of Mademoiselle Magique herself. As the... Read More

The mature and fluid performance of narrator Joyce Bean is an excellent conduit for the author's personal stories, insights, and gently crafted advice about being a grandparent. The audiobook covers all aspects of a healthy relationship--playing with your grandchildren with more freedom than you had with your own children, moderating your advice-giving and healing breaches with... Read More

Living in a world in which magic must be hidden, Ana and Bree careen through Death Valley in their Jeep, using their magic to avoid malevolent creatures. Called Magical Unknowns, they hope to stay off the grid, but they forge a temporary alliance with the Magical Protectorate against their common enemy, a magic dealer who poisoned them. Narrator Laurel Schroeder has a... Read More

In Laura Powell's unusual novel, a serial murderer stalks a quiet village in Cornwall, and the lives of its inhabitants, particularly that of teenaged Betty, are forever changed. Narrator Katy Sobey has a delightful British accent and a delivery that ranges from clipped to languid as the characters and pace of the text demand. Her breathy musings capture the insecurity Betty... Read More

Today, an increasing number of messages from academia and pop culture say that the world would be better without Christianity. New Testament scholar Johnston examines history to show what an atheistic world looks like, and it is ugly. Regrettably, this audio experience is more like attending a college lecture on the Christian worldview than engaging with this topic on a... Read More

Some audiobooks benefit from the vocal range and nuanced performance of a talented narrator. This novel is in that category. Pete Bradbury's delivery moves by turns from the character of American journalist Richard Brennan to the character of failed Polish businessman Bogdan Baranovski. The audiobook spans a decade and tells the sad story of the aftermath of the death of... Read More

Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the most successful musical theater artists of all time, provides listeners with a lengthy memoir that focuses mainly on his career up to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA's original production. Blaming his verbosity, he hints at a potential second volume. While Lloyd Webber offhandedly narrates the brief prologue and epilogue, Derek Perkins skillfully... Read More

Alana Kerr Collins's narration is formal and fitting for an American who has woken up in an Irish hospital with amnesia and finds herself a stranger even to herself. Eighteen-year-old Clementine has no memory after being the sole survivor of a plane crash. She can't fathom seeing her father, whom she can't remember, so she assumes a new identity, fleeing the hospital with... Read More

Daniel Fusco's upbeat conversational tone invites listeners into a narrative about our relationship with God and the transformation that takes place inside us when we focus solely on Him. In a way that is similar to discussing life with a dear friend, Fusco presents his perspective with tenacity, wit, and brutal honesty, challenging his brothers and sisters in Christ to make it... Read More

There's nothing like military science fiction to challenge a narrator. Take, for example, this first audiobook in the Breaker of Empires series. Its privileged protagonist, Sikander North, comes from the colony of Kashmir (think India), and he must battle to earn his place on the CSS HECTOR, an Aquilian Commonwealth (think Britain) starship. The HECTOR is assigned to protect an... Read More

Originally from Great Britain, Tina Brown, former editor of THE NEW YORKER and VANITY FAIR, offers a rather offhand, sluggish narration of these self-aggrandizing diary entries. The name-dropping diaries were kept within the span of her years at VANITY FAIR. Here, in all their glory, are the excessive and extravagant go-go 1980s, but this chronicling of expensive and expansive... Read More

In a soft Southern accent, Molly Parker narrates Frazier's recent novel about the life and times of Varina, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Varina describes her life and times in a nonlinear manner, from the 1840s through the early 1900s, through flashbacks and memories. The dialogue flows into the narrative without shifts in tone or accent, making it difficult... Read More

Dr. Cristal Glangchai, engineer, entrepreneur, and CEO of a tech startup, shares her recommendations for giving young girls the tools to pursue STEM fields and entrepreneurship. Engagingly narrated by Sandy Rustin, this audiobook is full of ideas, activities, and information. Rustin keeps listeners interested by adding depth to text that could conceivably overwhelm the... Read More

In return for 25 hours of your life, this fine audiobook will give you all the background you need about Great Britain in the nineteenth century. Kris Dyer is an accomplished narrator, especially effective in holding together a history so long and so expansive. His accent is pure British, and pure nineteenth century. This audiobook is ideal for students and fans of Victorian... Read More

Unburdened by traditional thinking and guided by intuitive insights, four women--Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters--reshaped the public's thinking on the environment, urban planning, primate behavior, and diet, respectively. This book offers clear and concise yet illuminating biographies of each. Cassandra Campbell offers an easy-on-the-ears reading.... Read More

That the story told in this audiobook is one you think you know deprives it of none of its power. Winifred Conkling begins with 11-year-old Elizabeth Cady's dismay in 1826 at realizing that her father will see her as less lovable and valuable than a son no matter what she accomplishes. It ends 94 years later with the cliff-hanger passage of the 19th Amendment. The fascinating... Read More

Poet laureate Tracy Smith's steady and deliberate narration has a sort of automated-sounding rhythm that works. Her poetry collection addresses both contemporary and historical issues that the United States has faced and continues to face. In a slightly pleading tone and unhurried pace, Smith unfolds the disheartening experiences of an African-American soldier in the Civil War... Read More

We hurt those we love the most--or so husband-and-wife Adam and Anita find out. Narrator Teri Schnaubelt pulls us into the story of how this married couple falls apart. In an arch and knowing manner, Schnaubelt moves back and forth between Adam and Anita smoothly, alternating between their points of view and taking us firmly into the world of the story with her confident... Read More

The quiet vulnerability of reserved cattle rancher Aiden Delacorte radiates through Nick Podehl's salt-of-the-earth performance. Aiden is not your typical hardened rancher, especially after he "wakes up" his latent ability to feel the emotions of the animals around him. At that point, he sets a new course for his life. Podehl's performance is a wonderful addition to this... Read More

London-born narrator Steve West effortlessly mixes tones of mystery, uncertain memory, sophistication, and innocence in Ondaatje's latest novel. The story features a 14-year-old boy whose parents suddenly disappear from his life when they take jobs in faraway Singapore after WWII, leaving him and his older sister in the care of some suspect but otherwise caring characters. Soon... Read More

Jody Gehrman's mystery is just plain scary. Not only is she a clever writer, she's a terrific narrator as she performs the sections devoted to Kate Youngblood. Kate is a creative writing professor at a small Ohio college who isn't writing much these days. In addition, her ex is marrying a younger woman, and her best friend is pregnant. Gehrman makes it clear that Kate is... Read More

Set in Washington, DC, before the United States entered WWII, Lillian Hellman's incisive drama about national identity, personal freedom, and responsibility is fully realized by a talented, cohesive ensemble. After nearly 20 years, wealthy matriarch Fanny Farrelly welcomes the return of her daughter, Sarah, along with Sarah's German husband and children. The reunion is... Read More

The Watergate, a multi-building site that includes a hotel, an office building, and an apartment complex, played a role in two presidential impeachment dramas. It was the site of the infamous Democratic headquarters break-in in 1972, and it was home to Monica Lewinsky in 1998. Narrator Bronson Pinchot delivers a low-key reading that lets this heady mixture of Washington gossip,... Read More

This audiobook offers a trifecta of strong writing, riveting mystery, and seasoned narrator. Mark Deakins lends his resonant baritone to first-time novelist DeSales Harrison's literary thriller. When Jessica Burke is found dead in her New York City apartment, everyone assumes it was an overdose. But psychoanalyst Daniel Abend, who treated Jessica for years, receives a package... Read More

For the second time, narrator Christopher Gebauer animates the character Waylon, a fourth grader who is sensitive and "science-y." The sequel begins soon after the first audiobook ends. Waylon is struggling to save "Dumpster Eddy," the stray dog he's come to love. To prevent Eddy from being sent to a distant shelter in just 10 days, Waylon enlists the help of his classmate,... Read More

Sometimes the lucky audiobook listener has every expectation met and exceeded. Narrator John McLain dazzles with his deadpan delivery of humor, of moments that tug on one's heartstrings, and of every emotion in between. A memoir of adventure stories delivers an adventure of its own as one hears about the author's dramatic life and wonders what could befall him next. As... Read More

James Patrick Cronin's talent as an actor comes to the forefront in narrating a novel that owes its plot to HAMLET. Set in Montana's ranch land and in Billings, the story is structured as a play--with scenes and acts rather than chapters. Cronin captures the deliberate dialogue of the taciturn ranchers and brings to life protagonist Anthony Fry's struggle to decide whether to... Read More

Carrington MacDuffie brings her vocal skills and narrative art to this remarkable collection of Robinson's essays--originally speeches given at various colleges and universities. MacDuffie's elegant intonation comes through in these challenging and thought-provoking works. Her clear delivery gives shape to the complex arguments and rewards the listener as the Pulitzer... Read More

Narrator Deborah Grausman's youthful voice makes the story of 14-year-old Gerta Rausch all the more horrifying. Sheltered Gerta learns of her Jewish identity when Nazis capture her and her father in 1944. Grausman's emotional reading expresses Gerta's initial confusion, her tender feelings for her papa, and the comfort that music brings her. Musical interludes and Grausman's... Read More

Narrator Karissa Vacker knocks it out of the park with this adventurous romance. A celebrity couple has broken up. Famous actor Charlie Outlaw departs for a remote island after publicly embarrassing himself during an interview, gets abducted during a hike, and must improvise to survive. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend, Josie Lamar, is dealing with her own break-up issues in L.A.... Read More

Why is a British voice narrating the history of the Spanish conquest of Aztec Mexico? That's just one of the questions this fascinating revisionist history leaves behind. The author believes every other historian got it wrong, and that after 499 years he has the real story. But it's often hard to tell what he's getting at or exactly where the differences lie. Steven Crossley is... Read More

Narrator Tavia Gilbert's earnest, forceful alto voice captures the warring emotions and heightened stakes in Alvie Fitz's daily life. Between uncomfortable interactions with people who don't understand her, rewarding encounters with animals in her work, and a budding friendship with a promising stranger, Alvie's journey is complex, painful, and intense. Steiger blends... Read More

Justine Eyre's flawless delivery of this audiobook provides an engaging listen. Beautiful Annabelle Green and handsome, flirtatious Quinton Carlisle were once caught in a compromising situation. Now, six years later, when Belle must marry to save her beloved Glenarvon, she and Quinton must decide if love really can conquer all. Eyre excels at portraying the many accents of the... Read More

Author Mike Lewis provides not so much a manual for radical career change as an array of examples and lessons from those who have made the jump to more fulfilling work. After an introduction by Sheryl Sandberg, known to LEAN IN readers for her move from Google to Facebook, Lewis and the others recount their own stories. This approach does two things: It adds a layer of... Read More

Listeners will enjoy Mary Beth Light's playful narration depicting two unusual sisters, Rebecca and Flora Haws. The story starts in Chicago in the late 1800s and ends up in the Sinai Desert. It's based on two real-life women who traveled to Mt. Sinai in search of an important biblical manuscript. Austin's novel is made even more captivating through Light's astute, nuanced... Read More

Author Amy Bloom's novelization of the romance between former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena "Hick" Hickok from the 1930s to 1962 highlights the spirit of their relationship. Hick's pragmatic personality and wry sense of humor, well portrayed by narrator Tonya Cornelisse, determine the production's point of view, pace, and tone. Eleanor's patrician elocution... Read More

In the misty mountains of northern China during the Qing Dynasty, former imperial librarian Li Du discovers a monk dead on a snowy ledge. Painted around the seemingly self-inflicted wound on his chest is a white circle framed in gold and blue, an inauspicious symbol known as "the white mirror." Narrator David Shih gives Li Du a tempered, flat tone suitable for a man who knows... Read More

The GraphicAudio people outdid themselves with this story of T'Challa, the Black Panther, ruler of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Narrator Ken Jackson knows how to build suspense, as does the rest of the cast, especially Zeke Alton, who plays the role of T'Challa with just the right touch of heroism and imperious attitude. The special effects are fantastic, but the real... Read More

Odds are that listeners will relate to Matthew Walker's call for better sleep; two-thirds of adults are getting too little of it. Narrator Steve West's British voice is as calm and relaxing as it's meant to be. The first part of the discussion covers sleep studies and compares humans to the animal kingdom. Then Walker shares his conclusions, establishing a link between... Read More

Herz explores the complex psychology behind food purchasing and consumption with both scholarship and humor. Sadly, narrator Jo Anna Perrin fails to convey the pleasure in this work of popular science. Her voice throughout the production is dry to the point of scratchiness, with minimal modulation in pitch or tone. Though the text features many humorous and pop culture... Read More

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld reintroduces Ewan Donahue and Nina Bronson from DANGEROUS PROMISE as they navigate their broken trust. Nina is back as Ewan's bodyguard, emotionally hesitant even if her heart and body won't forget what it's like to love him. But as increasing malfunctions in her enhanced abilities make it clear that she won't survive without desperately needed... Read More

Soneela Nankani's narration brings 1920s Bombay and Calcutta to life in the first of the Perveen Mistry mysteries. The first female solicitor in Bombay, Perveen works at her father's law firm. Asking questions about donations by the three widows of Mr. Omar Farid, a wealthy Muslim mill owner, she uncovers a plot to siphon funds. Nankani adopts a soft, uninflected tone for the... Read More

Narrator Xe Sands gives us the flat, fragile voice of Angela, the damaged wife in this first-person psychological thriller. We meet a once-happy homemaker, or so it seems, who has put a horrifying past behind her but now watches the life she has achieved crumble when her husband is accused of being a sexual predator and murderer. Is Angela a reliable narrator? Is Jason guilty?... Read More

Adjoa Andoh expertly narrates the author's memoir of her grandmother's life, spanning twentieth-century Ethiopia. The narrative jumps between childbirth, politics, and religion, but any confusion is allayed by Andoh's many vocal inflections. In a setting where women's roles are limited (the "wife" here is Yetemegnu, who is 8 years old at her marriage), the rituals of home are... Read More

In this sequel to THE WILD ROBOT, robot Roz wakes up on a farm far from the wild island she calls home. The audiobook follows her adventures as she attempts to escape and reunite with her family and friends. Narrator Kathleen McInerney delivers the story with a smile in her voice, echoing the novel's tone, which remains gentle even as danger mounts. Roz's robotic voice... Read More

Narrator Lia Frederick deftly tells this tale based on a real-life Angus cow that wandered the Connecticut countryside for five months in 2011. On a hot July afternoon, 800-pound Wilhelmina, feeling uncomfortable and unloved by her owner, decides to join a nearby herd of deer. Frederick warmly renders Wilhelmina and her new companions' innocent voices as well as the picturesque... Read More

Tavia Gilbert narrates this disturbing audiobook rapidly, her voice fraught with tension and foreboding. The story focuses on the abduction of two young sisters after a freak blizzard in Albany and what happens when they suddenly reappear during a devastating rain- storm six weeks later. Gilbert animates and enhances characters who, with a less skilled narrator, might seem... Read More

Narrator Fred Sanders recounts the life of Chief Justice John Marshall from his humble origins to his service in the Revolutionary War. Over the years, he served as a legislator, a diplomat, and a true champion of the Supreme Court as an institution. Sanders's narration highlights the intelligence and charisma of the judge, a federalist stalwart who had the remarkable ability... Read More

Listeners follow the opposing environmental visions of two twentieth-century scientists who predicted what would happen to the human race in the next century. Narrator Bronson Pinchot energetically tackles the many theories discussed in the works of William Vogt and Norman Borlaug. Their work focused on food, water, energy, and climate change. The author details Vogt's dire... Read More

Kirby Heyborne narrates the story of Ozzy, a 14-year-old boy who has lived on his own since he was 7, when his parents were kidnapped. Now, with the help of a wizard whose ad he sees, he thinks he can, maybe, find them. The story follows Ozzy; his robotic-talking raven, Clark; and the self-proclaimed wizard, Rin, on a quest to find the answers Ozzy has been looking for his... Read More

In this prequel novel, James Langton tempers the urbane British tone of famed detective Charles Lenox with a hint of naïveté, achieved through a periodic quaver. In London in 1850, Lenox is 23 years old and fresh on the scent of his first case, aided by his friend and valet, Graham. The game's afoot when a letter by an anonymous writer claiming to have committed the perfect... Read More

Amy McFadden emotionally narrates the story of a woman's struggle to find herself after her divorce. Maggie's husband of 30 years leaves her suddenly to find happiness with a younger woman. Maggie, whose children are grown, is left to mend herself as she spontaneously travels to Italy, romantically rebounds, and ultimately learns to love herself again after having put her... Read More

In one day, Gina--code name "Babe"--goes from computer geek to drone operator in a non-military special forces unit. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld presents the horror and determination Gina feels as she drags herself through basic training and fights her attraction to team leader Levi "Ace" Butcher. Maarleveld delivers Gina's low Georgia drawl and Levi's curt commands with... Read More

In her introduction, author Elaine Weiss frames a pivotal moment in the tumultuous saga of American women's suffrage in the early twentieth century. In 1920, Tennessee sits poised to become the majority state needed for federal ratification of the 19th amendment. Narrator Tavia Gilbert's portrayals of opposition activists, politicians, and proponents of universal voting rights... Read More

When three women of a certain age meet on a tour of a North Carolina retirement village, where none of them wants to live, they form a deep bond and together make the surprising decision to rent a Tuscan villa. Narrator Kimberly Farr's lively performance adds a spark to this story of women's friendships and finding strength and happiness after loss. Her subtle Southern accents... Read More

Narrator Christa Lewis delves into the story of Germany's pioneering women test pilots, Melitta von Stauffenberg and Hanna Reitsch. These women loved their country but were polar opposites in morality and personality. Driven by a love of flight, they were not deterred by its high risks. Flashy Hanna embraced Hitler's plan for Germany, while erudite Melitta tried to preserve her... Read More

Narrator Laural Merlington provides a subtle and strong reading of these assorted nonfiction pieces by the late, great Ursula K. Le Guin. Though she's best known for her fantasy and science fiction, this audiobook is a treasure trove for listeners interested in Le Guin's incisive writings on literature, poetry, genre trappings, specific books, her fellow authors, and so much... Read More

The author won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. To explain his formula for solving the problems of global wealth disparity and climate degradation, this audiobook needs the confidence and idealism that come across in Dan Woren's narration. His tonal and phrasing palette works well as Yunus, an activist Bangladeshi banker and economist, addresses global poverty through microlending... Read More

Amielynn Abellera narrates the story of a tumultuous week in the lives of two middle schoolers. Deftly moving between their voices in alternating chapters, Abellera excels at capturing the nuanced emotions of Ben, age 11, and Charlotte, age 12, two smart kids who connect as long-distance online Scrabble competitors. Already facing middle school problems such as best friend... Read More

This excellent collection of 10 short stories is insightful, smart, and funny, laying bare the petty concerns, inner thoughts, and vulnerabilities of their high-achieving protagonists. The two narrators, Emily Rankin and Mark Deakins, are a credit to the audiobook as they incorporate humorous touches where appropriate, even amid some of the more negative emotions on display.... Read More

Chances are you're reading this amid an ordinary and mundane life. This very ordinariness excites God. Narrator Brandon Batchelar's steady, almost listless voice belies the excitement found in the truth that God works in and through everyone, despite their lack of fame. The audiobook is an odd contrast of glorious content and lackluster voice, but the listener will genuinely... Read More

Narrator Ian McEuen repeats his stellar performance in this second episode of the horrors facing two not-so-hapless brothers, their sexy office assistant, her magic pup--and, in this episode, a zombie-infested grade school. There's plenty of shocking gore, often serving as moral comeuppance for the victims, who include the philandering and abusive principal and the school... Read More