At first, Danielle Cohen's performance and Emma Southon's text both seem to come on too strong, trying too hard to be brassy and smart-alecky. But this history of Rome told through the stories of Roman women, legendary and historical, soon shows itself to be thoughtful and deeply informative, and is often amusing in its snarky, sassy, profane way. Cohen's sharp, sometimes acid,... Read More

Listeners who love the monarchy will snap up this royal romance narrated by Shiromi Arserio, with additional narration from Barrie Kreinik as the voice of the late Princess Penelope. Singer Jennie Jensen meets and falls for Prince Hugh, heir to the UK throne. As she prepares for marriage, she suspects that Hugh's mother, Princess Penelope, was murdered and worries she might be... Read More

Like the captain of a historical sailing ship, Ralph Lister takes command of this sprawling 1975 bestseller about culture clash. He gives a tough, resilient voice to the hero, Captain John Blackthorne, while providing memorable voices for the dozens of characters ranging from Japanese samurai and courtesans to Spanish and Portuguese people. In 1600, after losing his ship and... Read More

Robert Downey, Jr., teamed up with prolific climate change author Thomas Kostigen to write and narrate a fun yet impactful audio guide to choosing food habits that will cool the planet. The passionate duo seek to popularize a new climate-friendly food category--cool food--to represent the best edible options for producers and consumers. Downey, Jr., is an absolute riot to... Read More

Popular NBC television personality Al Roker is the coauthor and narrator of this fast-paced murder mystery. Roker portrays a character much like himself--a charming morning show cohost named Billy Blessing. Billy is a celebrity chef, as well as a news commentator, and he owns a famous New York restaurant. Listeners are inundated with the names of television executives, media... Read More

Alison McKenna and Gary Furlong bring all the angst of an enemies-to-lovers story to this retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" inspired by Irish folklore. In this version, the beast is trapped inside the body of a shape-shifting beauty named Rozlyn due to a curse spanning three centuries. When the charismatic Jamie comes to win her heart, Rozlyn suspects more is afoot. And she's... Read More

This audio version of Waugh's first published work exudes satire at every turn. When Paul Pennyfeather is thrown out of school, he is forced to find his way in life as a schoolmaster. This change in circumstances leads to all manner of misadventures, each one rich with opportunities to make fun of 1920s British society. Stefan Rudnicki's resonant voice carries such depth that... Read More

Stacy Gonzalez performs a dystopian novel set in a near-future America in which government-sponsored counseling centers treat radical behavior. Riley continues her family's practice of speaking out in the face of injustice and winds up in an renewal center for mandatory reeducation. Gonzalez imbues her performance with a surprising brightness that contrasts with the... Read More

Bronson Pinchot embraces the tone and accents of the international characters in this political thriller. In 1947, military attachés gather at a party. An American and a Russian diplomat agree to a friendly ski race across the Finnish countryside. The audiobook focuses on the adventure of the race, but real intrigue builds around the international diplomacy that mounts once... Read More

Published in 1928, this accomplished novel of ideas is given a splendid narration by Golden Voice Stefan Rudnicki. His exceptionally clear enunciation and steady pace help listeners take in what is arguably Huxley's most complex work. Peopled with a huge coterie of musicians, writers, artists, military officers, and members of the British aristocracy--many of whom are based on... Read More

Julianna Baggott has written a timely and compelling collection of short stories covering a variety of speculative fiction themes, many of which are reminiscent of episodes of the dystopian science-fiction show "Black Mirror." A bevy of talented narrators deliver the stories, which have intriguing themes, such as a romantic credit score that renders some individuals banned from... Read More

Narrators Jason Clarke and Samantha Cook team up to breathe life into the romance between Hadley Stevens and Zach Dare. Years ago, Hadley was supposed to be Zach's date for the prom when she and her family were whisked away into the Federal Witness Protection Program. Now her father is in trouble again, and Hadley turns to Zach for help. Cook reveals Hadley's trepidation about... Read More

Rory Barnett portrays "The Vicar," also known as Terry Nolan, an undercover MI5 operative whose cover has been blown. Barnett adds all the narrative fuel required for this action-packed story, which unfolds a deadly serious operation designed to prevent loss of life in England's largest cities. With gusto, Barnett captures the danger and impromptu violence between Nolan and all... Read More

In this cross between hard science and near-future speculative fiction, Stefan Rudnicki narrates with clarity and intensity. A brilliant mathematician develops a shortcut that will make space travel to distant stars a reality. When the man's equally brilliant wife disappears and it's thought that she's being held hostage on an alien spacecraft at the edge of the solar system,... Read More

Robert Fass captures the natural interplay between a father and son during an emotional struggle for survival. On a mountain excursion in New Hampshire, eight-year-old Tim and his father, Doug, are reeling from the recent death of Tim's mother. News of an unidentified national catastrophe forces the two hikers to seek refuge, rather than risk traveling home. Fass adds a subtle... Read More

Dion Graham narrates a dark and complex contemporary fantasy in which so-called monsters leave the shadows to share the human world. The monsters have allies who hope to push through legislation to protect them, but a malevolent cult is attempting to incite an apocalyptic war against them. Graham maintains a patient yet engaging cadence in a slightly gravelly voice that grabs... Read More

A collection of linked short stories set in New England explores what happens when reality and fantasy intermingle. A trio of experienced narrators, Ines del Castillo, Frankie Corzo, and Carolina Hoyos, bring these creepy and unsettling works to life with vivid and evocative narrations. One story has the ashes of a deceased mother telling her son's fianceé how to keep him... Read More

The author of this expansive audiobook is the founder of a personal growth platform that integrates a broad array of wisdom about developing one's potential. After celebrity psychiatrist Phil Stutz delivers a believable endorsement of the audiobook, the author performs with energy that infuses his ideas with passion from start to finish. He organizes his growth protocol around... Read More

Originally published in 1915, this utopian audiobook has a timeless element that keeps it relevant today. On an adventure, three young men find an isolated land inhabited solely by women--what they learn and do there is the focus of the story. Stefan Rudnicki's voice is so deep that, at times, it sounds almost cloudy. The sonorous vocal quality emphasizes the differences... Read More

In this inspiring anthology of more than 250 poems from the 1920s high-water mark of the Harlem Renaissance, narrator Ron Butler accentuates the classical tones and themes of Countee Cullen. Robin Miles finds the warmth and intelligence in Georgia Douglas Johnson's best work. And Kevin Kenerly captures Langston Hughes's distinct groundbreaking jazz rhythms. Quick, focused,... Read More

Hillary Huber gives a top-shelf performance of this audiobook featuring some really twisted serial killers. Her narrative voice is pleasant and captures the scene and atmosphere of the moment. It also keeps the complicated plot moving. FBI Special Agent Caitlin Hendrix of the Behavioral Analysis Unit is charged with finding out how serial killer Efrem Judah Goode, now... Read More

Gripping from the start, true-crime TV star Joe Kenda's debut novel is an entertaining and quick-paced fictionalized version of a case Kenda handled as a rookie detective in the 1970s. Narrated skillfully by Bradford Hastings, Tim Campbell, and Kenda himself, the audiobook benefits from their ability to produce a variety of voices for the fascinating cast of characters. At its... Read More

Traber Burns presents Davenport's minute-by-minute account of San Francisco's 7.9 magnitude earthquake and the ensuing firestorm that lasted several days in 1906. The conflagration was due in part to greed, graft, and political policy relating to matters such as looting. Burns's anchorman style is at once gruff, workmanlike, and unemotional. The narration may well resemble how... Read More

Laura Horowitz brings a charming narration to the small-town life of Sadie Revelare. Sadie wants nothing more than to bake, garden, and practice helpful magic for the people she loves, but too much abandonment has left her heartbroken. The letdowns continue with the return of her ex, Jake, and her twin, Seth, which coincides with her grandmother's dire medical diagnosis. At the... Read More

The interpretations of the five narrators who perform this collection of Mansfield's short stories, while varied, share a common understanding of her ironic approach to storytelling. They provide a helpful throughline to the twentieth-century New Zealand-born author's wonderful writing. Beginning with a not-to-be-missed introduction written and read by writer and audiobook... Read More

Kelli Tager narrates this tragic story of mental illness with the perfect sense of conviction and heart. Beverly is a very emotional person who is not quite sure how to process her emotions. Henry is a lovely man who meets Beverly at her place of business and is instantly enamored. They marry, and Beverly becomes pregnant, but the romance is short-lived. Beverly still has not... Read More

Natalie Naudus takes listeners for a ride in this socially minded sci-fi thriller. Cass, a teen pickpocket, becomes embroiled in the political machinations of the Imperial Court when the emperor is assassinated. When Cass is framed for his murder, she joins forces with another outsider, Amaris, who belongs to a group of revolutionary outlaws. Naudus's careful characterizations... Read More

Nancy Wu steps gracefully into the prestigious role of Avatar Yangchen in this prequel to the beloved series. Yangchen, an air-nomad avatar prior to Aang, is the glue holding four nations together. But a powerful enemy, Chaisee, threatens the balance. In her attempt to restore peace, Yangchen seeks help from Kavik, an old friend turned betrayer. While the story appears to... Read More

In 1924, 12 Christie short stories were serialized in "The Sketch" and later published in novel form. Now on audio they can intrigue listeners. John Rubinstein captures the familiar voices of Poirot and Hastings. Rubinstein perfectly delivers the French accent of the great Belgian detective and the classic British voice of the good-hearted, naïve Captain Hastings. The story... Read More

Legendary performance coach Greg Harden has a speaking voice that makes you stop in your tracks and want to soak up whatever he's offering. The wisdom in his approach to coaching is part of that power. As a social worker and therapist, he understands the critical importance of self-acceptance and resilience. His stories about helping athletes and executives offer memorable... Read More

No one captures Old New York society like Edith Wharton, and no one could perform this satirical audiobook better than Carrington MacDuffie. With a gift for tone and a wide array of character voices, MacDuffie brings us a complex story of family, status, and social flaws that seems, in many ways, wholly contemporary. The audiobook takes place in 1920s America, yet MacDuffie... Read More

The authors explore changes that have taken place in the home. American narrator Marisa Calin's accent was influenced by growing up in England. In a British-sounding voice she moves through the basics, slowing down to deliver more emotional words with intimacy. The topics, such as cooking, cleaning, and caregiving, lean toward discussions of gender roles, as well as... Read More

Edginess and tension are palpable from the get-go in Jesse Vilinsky's high-octane performance of this gothic horror. An unnamed teenage girl recounts her experience of meeting and then growing attracted to a strange teenage boy whose job as a "tornado killer" is to keep a plague of tornadoes away from her Midwestern town. Vilinsky fully embodies the angst, fear, and empathy the... Read More

An heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing fortune, Billy Busch is remarkably candid about both his life and the family succession issues that ultimately led to the purchase of the well-known corporation by InBev, a Belgian conglomerate. Busch's memoir seems backbiting, petty, and self-aggrandizing. Busch, who also narrates, frequently pauses inexplicably mid-sentence, especially... Read More

The case of a missing woman who is presumed dead haunts her sister, Lucy, who knows in her heart that her sister is alive . . . somewhere. Convincing the police in Ireland is another matter. The production beauty of this audiobook is staggering. The clarity of the voices and the perfection of the audio itself make it a pleasure to hear. Alana Kerr Collins's lilting Irish brogue... Read More

Tanya Eby narrates a clean romance that takes place on Teaberry Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Deena Clark informs CEO Luis Dominguez that he is the father of her late friend's baby, Willow, who has special needs. As Luis and Deena relocate to his family's island house and open a bookstore together, Luis falls for Willow and Deena. Eby's cozy voice is well matched to the small... Read More

Joan Walker narrates the first modern biography of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony of Rome. Walker's delivery is crisp and bright, her tone affecting something between a university lecturer and a popular documentary narrator. The historical material presented is from secondary or tertiary sources, as well as educated speculation, so... Read More

Three narrators bring a delightful variety of styles to Sarah Orne Jewett's short stories. The Maine writer dives into the inner lives of local people, and each narrator uniquely brings out the emotions of her characters. Susan Hanfield immediately creates an inviting atmosphere with her delivery of "A White Heron" as she captures the tender feelings of an adolescent girl.... Read More

January LaVoy has a robust, elegant voice perfect for narrating the story of the determined Dolça Llull Prat, the fictional muse of author Miguel Cervantes, author of DON QUIXOTE. The story alternates between Dolça's youth and her travels from Barcelona to Madrid to visit the dying Miguel. Dolça's wealthy parents would not allow their union because Miguel lacked a fortune. But... Read More

Narrator Charles Everett knows how to combine Stan Lee's sense of comic-book action with true horror in the latest in the Lee-inspired series featuring five soldiers of fortune who sold their souls to the devil in exchange for superpowers. But the devil believes the group is not living up to their part of the bargain--to hunt down and kill others who have reneged--and he has... Read More

Thom Rivera narrates an engaging cyberpunk adventure set on a postapocalyptic Earth and an orbiting space station. Diane 317 enjoys a life of relative peace on the station--until it begins plummeting and she's forced to escape in a pod. She lands and is rescued by gruff Virgil, who traps her in a powered suit of armor. Rivera maintains a sense of urgency throughout with an... Read More

This audiobook demonstrates that a shark attack can be as scary on audio as it is on the big screen. With narrator David Marantz at the mic, this fictionalization of a series of shark attacks off the New Jersey shore in 1916 is frightening and entertaining. Marantz's performance is ideal. He employs a low-key delivery that complements author Amy Hill Hearth's superb dialogue... Read More

Stephen Hogan is the ideal interpreter of Sebastian Barry's thoughtful, multilayered novel. His clear, soft Irish accent pulls listeners into the mind of Tom Kettle, an Irish policeman retired to a coastal village who is asked to re-examine a cold case involving abuse by the Catholic Church. It's soon apparent that Kettle's isolation and the case are linked, and that it's not... Read More

Bernadette Dunne maintains the prim and proper formality of the Victorian era that influenced Mina Miller Edison, the second wife of the famous inventor, in this intriguing production. Raised by wealthy, influential parents, Mina was destined to marry an industrialist. Though she expected to marry her childhood love, she found herself swept away during a romantic courtship with... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller narrates the story of the infamous Chinese pirate queen Shek Yeung. When Shek Yeung sees her husband slaughtered during a raid, she immediately makes plans to keep her fractious pirate fleet together amid challenges from European and Chinese powers. Through a strategic marriage and vicious bloodshed, Shek Yeung must fight to protect her growing fleet and... Read More

Andrew Eiden and Andi Arndt portray the two main characters in this romantic suspense, which will keep listeners guessing. Looking for a vacation spot, Grace tossed a dart at a map and landed on an Airbnb ranch in Wyoming. Once there, she discovers there's a mystery about the ranch owner, Calvin, who clearly is attracted to Grace. And all Grace was looking for was some peace... Read More

Gabra Zackman and Peter Ganim share the double first-person narration of Wendy Walker's new thriller in which Elise, a policewoman traumatized during a line-of-duty shooting, is stalked by a mysterious witness to the event. Meanwhile, her partner, Rowan, still recovering from wartime PTSD, is working the case from a different angle. We hear a great deal about stages of trauma... Read More

Adams returns to the mythology and adventures of the rabbits of WATERSHIP DOWN. Simon Vance brings the audiobook to life, employing his vast range of vocal skills to give its huge cast unique voices, accents, and personalities. Part One includes traditional lore on the character El-ahrairah. Part Two shares tales of his adventures as he and Rabscuttle return home after their... Read More

John Cotter narrates his affecting memoir in smooth, measured tones. He recounts the bewildering and lonely experience of beginning to lose his hearing at age 30. His reflections on illness, disability, art, teaching, and deafness throughout history are both poignant and personal. He delivers anecdotes from his life with honesty and wry humor. Listening to him relive his... Read More

Steve West's humorous narration transports listeners across time in this historical fantasy audiobook. Jack protects the people of the present from the magic of a forgotten past. Along with his time- traveling guide, Amanda, he visits historical moments thought to be just stories or myth in order to preserve their magical origins. West voices a variety of characters, including... Read More

Robin Miles and Ramón de Ocampo do excellent work, as does Hillary Huber. Erin deWard--whose voice for Solnit has a tone of drama--is especially convincing. DeWard captures the passion and intelligence that mark this historian, feminist, and incisive critic. While a few of the narrators are not on the same level, the main essayists are well served. This anthology of essays... Read More

Narrator Eric Mok strikes just the right tone as 11-year-old Danny Chung in this sweet middle-grade audiobook. Danny's parents spring a surprise on him: His grandmother from China, whom he's never met, arrives to live with them in England. She's going to be sharing Danny's room, and they can barely communicate with each other. Mok delivers Nai Nai's mix of Chinese and English... Read More

Narrator Cillian Crowe speaks earnestly when vocalizing the two main characters, Henry and Edith, in this charming rom-com. Listeners are easily integrated into their daily lives in a Midwestern town in the present day. Henry has lived there his entire life and is ready to settle down; Edith is a young widow who is seeking adventure. Much of the audiobook's charm is in its... Read More

Kitty Hendrix has a truly American voice--full of energy and tough optimism. It's the perfect voice for this captivating history of America's wild, often overlooked mid-nineteenth century, a period populated by utopian visionaries, con men, impresarios, politicians, and Civil War heroes, such as Horace Greeley, and P.T. Barnum. Especially noteworthy is John Humphrey Noyes, the... Read More

Barbara Rosenblat's performance of this classic black comedy is a master class in narration. Deadpan humor is a particularly hard note to strike with voice alone; overplay it and you ruin the joke, underplay it and the listener may miss the fact that it is a joke. Rosenblat is a consummate character actor; her version of Harold's monolithic monster mother is pitch-perfect,... Read More

Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this quick listen, narrated beautifully by Sophie Amoss. She lends a serious and intriguing air to this first book in a new mystery series about a coffee shop in small-town New Hampshire. When a secret room in the shop is found with a body in it, owner Margaret Hayward determines that she and her staff will find out who's behind it. From blunt,... Read More

Dion Graham's brisk pacing works well to invite listeners into the energetic life and career of jazz icon Ramsey Lewis. Delivering Aaron Cohen's foreword, Graham's tone is reverential, and he also brings Lewis's own first-person chapters to life. Graham's deftly modulated performance celebrates the musician's remarkable story and long career without fawning or overselling.... Read More

Kathleen Early delivers a captivating performance in Slaughter's 11th audiobook installment of the Will Trent series. Emergency Department doctor Sara Linton encounters a dying rape victim and promises her justice. With the support of her fiancé, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Will Trent, and a range of colleagues, friends, and foes, Linton embarks on a mission... Read More

The late Morrie Schwartz was the subject of the popular book and movie TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Here, actor Steven Weber narrates Schwartz's posthumously edited guide to aging. Weber sounds seamlessly connected to the author's timeless wisdom and altruistic spirit. Weber's wonderful tone and creative pitch range never upstage Morrie's thoughtful observations and advice. The... Read More

Hitler loved serious music and hated the Jews, so he had a conflict: The best composers and performers in Germany and around the world were Jewish. Students of German history and classical music during the Third Reich will be fascinated by the diverse ways Nazi authorities and notable musicians of the times danced around this conflict so that the country's music culture could... Read More

This thrilling work of historical fiction is set at the dawn of the Civil War as President-elect Abraham Lincoln tours the country on the way to his inauguration. Lisa Flanagan's exquisite performance amplifies Van Lente's narrative about the first female detectives, which is based on a true story. To protect Lincoln from assassination, detectives Kate Warn and her mentee,... Read More

Bailey Carr gently narrates this dystopian audiobook. The corrupt U.S. Department of Balance carries out a form of law enforcement that endows people who commit crimes with extra shadows that warn people they encounter of their past transgressions. Kris is one such person, and so is her newborn daughter, whose birth mother, Kris's wife, died in childbirth. Kris feels unprepared... Read More

Helen Lloyd and Gerard Doyle's polished performance tells the story of the football player Matthias Sindelar, who in 1930s Vienna demonstrated his contempt for Hitler. That resulted in his Jewish girlfriend, Rebekah, fleeing to Cork, Ireland, before his death of unexplained circumstances. These events are interspersed with the story of Rebekah's son, who in the 1980s found a... Read More

Peter Ganim delivers this memoir by Palestinian activist Raja Shehadeh in a somber, thoughtful tone. Ganim's measured pace and gentle baritone reflect the audiobook's structure as it unfolds various moments in the Shehadeh family's history, which is entwined with the larger Palestinian struggle to regain their homeland. Ganim's style is appropriate since the author is... Read More

Historian, academic, playwright, and activist Martin Duberman, who wrote a biography titled PAUL ROBESON: NO ONE CAN SILENCE ME, looks back at his own life with both personal and social insight, some well-earned pride, and stories that will engage anyone who is involved in his wide array of interests and endeavors. Narrator Donald Corren does full justice to this memoir with an... Read More

Love, friendship, and other magic and mortal ties are explored with three voices in this fierce teen fantasy. Tristan is a bond servant to a vile hag, finding victims and controlling the dead. Narrator Daniel Henning's gentle tone makes the gore bearable. When he deftly plunges into Tristan's despair, his voice cracks with anguish. Leo's family struggles under several curses,... Read More

Students of labor's struggles with capitalism will be spellbound by this superb history of what it's taken for workers to organize and be heard over the past 160 years. The author's European vantage point casts a global light on how industrialization, immigration, politics, and the role of money led to dramatic changes in the way workers banded together and forced their... Read More

Narrator Jessica Almasy takes listeners to the quirky small town of Papillon, Louisiana, where lawyer Jayna Cardet has returned after a bitter divorce. Soon, she squares off in court against Quaid Havery, the only other lawyer in town, on a case involving an octogenarian who is being tried for bathing nude in a hot tub. Almasy brings out Papillon's small-town feel and its... Read More

Listeners who relish the immediacy of an author's voice will embrace this story of generational memory and discovery. For generations, Rachel Webster's family identified as white. But after learning that they descended from the sister of Black Revolutionary-era surveyor and almanac maker Benjamin Banneker, Webster embarked on a quest to learn more details of her family's... Read More

Narrated by the author, this compelling listen is an exploration of relationships, friendship, motherhood, and the ways we justify our actions--no matter how others may perceive them. The story is told from the perspective of Tessa, a writer who begins a friendship that becomes something more with Charlie, a philosopher. They are intellectually and physically attracted to each... Read More

Lindsey Dorcus narrates a sci-fi mystery loosely inspired by the Sherlock Holmes mythos. After a man goes missing on a distant outpost of Jupiter, Investigator Mossa must work with her former lover, Pleiti, to figure out what happened. While Dorcus portrays Mossa with a brisk, no-nonsense tone that fits both her personality and her role as an investigator, this should not imply... Read More

Being resurrected isn't all it's cracked up to be. That's what James Crowley has discovered in this first audiobook in the Black Badge series. Listeners will enjoy its Old West setting. Former outlaw Crowley now serves the heavenly White Throne, which allows him to banish demons and other foul beings from the earthly realm. Roger Clark adopts a gruff tone and gravelly timbre to... Read More

Chris Andrew Ciulla deftly handles the multiple voices in this audiobook. After his son is murdered in a New York City courtroom, a notorious Mexican drug lord seeks revenge. He orders the release of thousands of pounds over Central Park--it's literally dropped by aircraft, causing a mass casualty event. The NYPD is stretched thin, so a group of former police officers band... Read More

Orlagh Cassidy delivers a strong performance of Jill Dearman's captivating novel, inspired by the Leopold and Loeb case. Cassidy captures the frenetic Jazz Age and the compelling nature of obsessive love. Quiet, awkward Wilhelmina and bright, glittering Dorothy, both musical geniuses, room together at Barnard and become lovers. As the story is told in alternating chapters,... Read More

Figes's history of Russia focuses on the various ideas behind the Russian people's view of themselves. Examining the more than one thousand years from the days of Kievan Rus to the spring of 2022, the author sees a country that has "reimagined its own story" unlike any other country in history. Stefan Rudnicki is a splendid narrator for this work. His deep, stentorian voice... Read More

Samantha Cook and Jason Clarke bring strong narrations to the romance between Nicki Bettencourt and Asher Dare. Asher's best friend asks him to take his sister, Nicki, to Asher's island home to hide out when nude photos of her surface. Cook aptly portrays Nicki's vulnerability and distrust after the scandal breaks. Asher is instantly attracted to her, but he is concerned about... Read More

Lauren Fortgang's stellar narration adds authenticity to this romance. Finding herself newly single and panned by the critics, budding costume designer Marlowe is trying to make ends meet. When she is thrust onto the screen to fix a wardrobe mishap, she catches the eye of leading man Angus. Fortgang shines while portraying Marlowe, a woman who knows her faults and can laugh at... Read More

Writer, narrator, and close family friend of Betty White, Patty Sullivan brings listeners into the private world of the woman she knew well. With treasured memories ranging from White's love of animals to shared time at White's private vacation spot, Sullivan lovingly recounts personal stories and anecdotes of her time off-camera with the beloved actor. Sullivan delivers her... Read More

Lauren Ezzo provides an intelligent and expressive narration of this fine historical romance set mainly in late-nineteenth-century New England. Drawing upon newly discovered letters written by Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, as well as diaries, newspaper accounts, and witness testimonials, Calvi reimagines their romantic courtship and brief marriage.... Read More

Kirsten Potter delivers a spirited performance of this eclectic collection of essays by American fiction writer Ann Beattie. Potter's warm, midrange voice and attentive pacing pull listeners into the closely observed pieces, which range widely from a visit to painter Grant Wood's Iowa hometown to an appreciation of novelist Elizabeth Spencer amd a discussion of Alice Munro's... Read More

Lloyd James brings energy and enthusiasm to Cobb's biting homage to the state where he was raised. In 12 essays, a prologue, and an epilogue, Cobb outlines what has gone wrong since before the Oklahoma and Indian Territories merged in 1907 to become the 46th state. Narrating with a softly accented voice and a lively cadence, James recounts the many vicissitudes of Native... Read More

Hattie Morahan's English accent and dramatic skills capture the passion and vulnerability of four women who posed for, and ultimately became obsessed with, the artist Egon Schiele. Morahan's measured pacing and intense emotion bring listeners into the lives of respectable sisters Adele and Edith Harms; Schiele's mistress, Walburga Neuzil (Vally), and Schiele's sister, Gertrude.... Read More

Assaf Cohen gives an inspired performance as he deftly narrates this saga of a family's greed and corruption. He gets into the cunning mind of the matriarch, Hadassah, and portrays her amoral husband, Zev, once a concentration camp kapo, with the self-satisfied tone of man who is driven to succeed and motivated by carnality. Cohen delivers subtle but convincing Iranian,... Read More

For many readers of Edgar Allan Poe, the story of his life starts with his famously bizarre and unexplained death at the age of 40. This audio biography alternates sections that focus on his final weeks and snippets about his earlier life, including his childhood as an orphan. He was raised by a foster family who shaped the man he was to become. Grover Gardner's narration is... Read More

In this final installment of the Sean Duffy series, it’s fitting that a Duffy regular narrates. Gerard Doyle has a fabulous brogue and the ability to deliver a sly joke and dialogue between an Irishman and a Scot with equal facility. The plot, set in Belfast during the Troubles, revolves around a missing girl and the men she seduced. The story also encompasses a Russian double... Read More

Traber Burns maintains a brisk pace that accentuates the intensity of this captivating but sad story about the final days of the artist Robert Indiana. As a major figure in American art since the 1960s, Indiana is most known for his LOVE sculpture. After settling on the Maine island of Vinalhaven, where he lived in an abandoned Odd Fellows Hall called Star of Hope, he was known... Read More

Narrating this highly personal audiobook about the biggest social issues of our day, Cary Hite and Deanna Anthony sound so in sync with the authors' message that many listeners will look twice to make sure it isn't the authors performing. The narrators take turns delivering the chapters (written alternately by the two authors) and provide the panache needed for listeners to... Read More

Caroline Shaffer brings the right tone and tempo to this audiobook. In a crisply delivered style that allows the author's wit to shine, Shaffer delivers an informed and clever narrative that focuses on the relationship between food and mood. Author Albright looks at the science of how what we eat affects how we behave. A talented food writer for the WASHINGTON POST, she has a... Read More

In this rich examination of a fundamental but increasingly overlooked human need, Erica Sullivan narrates with a lithe and melodic pitch palette that adds notable beauty to the listening. Never competing with the author's message, she provides warmth and relaxed pacing that add inviting softness to Kim Samuel's perspectives and worldly wisdom. Samuel, a Canadian activist,... Read More

Julian Elfer gives voice to David Roberts in this posthumous publication by the legendary climber and adventure writer, who died in 2021. Roberts's account accompanies Gino Watkins's trek into the interior of Greenland in 1930, when this frozen land was even less well known than the earth's Poles. The remarkable but little-remembered English explorer explored the area with... Read More

A psychologist who's spent her career protecting children from commercial marketing explains why parents should be vigilant about today's digital toys and devices, which she says inhibit creative play and initiative. Author Susan Linn's fragile-sounding timbre is not effective for this production. But her otherwise likable performance is easy to understand and conveys... Read More

This story about unconditional love is elegantly performed by Barrie Kreinik. Sarah is concerned about her mother, Debbie Windsor, a hoarder who is always stashing "deals" she's found. The family agrees to go on a reality-TV show, hoping it will help Debbie break her habits. Both Sarah and Debbie meet potential love interests on the show. Will love heal all? Kreinik offers a... Read More

A cast of gifted narrators inhabits this edgy, sometimes gruesome, collection of short stories by Japanese author Murata, best known for her cult novel, CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN. Eunice Wong delivers the title story, as well as "A Magnificent Spread," lending a tone of mischief to tales of macabre food adventures. Nancy Wu's warm voice deftly handles the most sentimental of the... Read More

The celebrated satirical novel LUCKY JIM, published in 1954, is brought to audio with the vocal talents of James Lailey. Brisk and efficient, Lailey lends a crisp delivery to the story of Jim Dixon, a lecturer at a British university, and his various misadventures in academia. Lailey's voice is appealing, but his delivery is often so fast that it's difficult to appreciate the... Read More

In 1949, the massively successful play DEATH OF A SALESMAN took Broadway by storm, forever changing American theater and its author Arthur Miller's life. With rapt enthusiasm and fine attention to detail, narrator John Rubinstein leads listeners through this biography of Miller. Starting from his childhood, which was shadowed by the Great Depression, the narrative moves through... Read More

Soneela Nankani is a strong narrator for a novel about a woman who is confronting her parents' past. Nankani's dexterity and range as a performer are demonstrated in how she captures the wide range of characters. Through her confident style, listeners experience the modernization of India through middle-aged Maneka's eyes. Disoriented after being raised in the U.S., she must... Read More

FROM THE PUBLISHER: The Demon's Pet is an epic fantasy romance with steam. Fans of fantasy romance will love the strong heroine, darkly sexy antihero, scorching love scenes, thrilling action, and elaborate, unique world-building that grabs hold of the listener and never lets go, with no cliff-hanger! © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine... Read More

FROM THE PUBLISHER: A conversation starter like Three Women but centering the experiences of women of color: a mellifluous chorus celebrating the liberation, individuality, and joy of African women's multifaceted sexuality. Thanks to her blog, Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah has spent decades talking openly and intimately to African women... Read More

Elisabeth Rodgers narrates a psychological horror novel that finds a young woman confronting literal and metaphorical ghosts. Erin has yet to muster up the courage to say no to her tempestuous relationship with her college boyfriend, Silas. When he overdoses, he discovers he had been taking a drug that made it possible to see the dead. Rodgers flits between the snarky banter... Read More

This audiobook includes 23 reimagined tales of the fabled Slavic witch Baba Yaga who can manifest in many forms. Each story is narrated by one of seven performers who carry listeners through a multitude of places and times. Both timely and timeless, the collection is enhanced by this stellar production. Whether a stereotypical crone, a misunderstood witch forced into hiding, or... Read More

Six talented narrators work together to deliver these immersive short stories, which explore the lasting effect of absence or disappearance upon people's lives. Each well-crafted story evokes a particular place and time, and highlights strongly imagined characters. In the arresting "What You Can't See in the Picture,'' Siiri Scott heightens the tension as she depicts the... Read More

Married Duluth police detectives investigate the kidnapping of the wife of a lawyer while struggling with crushing physical and psychological challenges. Narrator Joe Barrett brings these characters vividly to life. Listeners share the struggles of Detective Serena Stride as she investigates the crime while dealing with the recent death of her abusive mother. She channels her... Read More

The voice of narrator Penelope Keith has become the acknowledged voice of the vain, clever, abrasive, and courageous private detective Agatha Raisin. Keith's imposing delivery and vivacious tone reflect Agatha's feisty personality. This is the 33rd mystery in the Agatha Raisin series, all of which take place in picturesque Cotswold villages. Though no longer written by Beaton,... Read More

This audiobook collection of stories by the critically acclaimed Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza is experimental in nature, with some enigmatic works straddling the line between reality and surreality. The 23 stories, written over the course of more than 30 years, have themes ranging from love to immigration to the search for meaning. An ensemble of seven talented... Read More

Gabrielle de Cuir narrates this feminist work, originally published in 1910 and long out of print. After receiving her first kiss from a man known for his wild ways, a young woman falls deeply in love with a man everyone in her life deems unsuitable. After moving to Colorado, she discovers that the man she loves has syphilis and gonorrhea, and she believes that marrying him... Read More

With just the right amount of humor and righteous indignation, author Anna Beer narrates this fascinating exploration of eight female writers who range from the fourteenth century to the present day. Highlighting Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, Aemilia Lanyer, Anne Bradstreet, Aphra Behn, Mary Wortley Montagu, Jane Austen, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Beer explores the ways... Read More

Elsie Robinson, a journalist whose early years were filled with adventure and hard times, became one of the highest paid female writers in the early twentieth century. In this audiobook we learn that 20 million people read her syndicated column, "Listen, World!'' Her novels, poems, and memoir were also highly successful. While her personal life was tragic, she talked about it... Read More

A full cast narrates interview snippets from San Diego Comic Con staff and guests. The loosely arranged recollections cover fandoms, the history of comics and sci-fi, and firsthand accounts of the early days of the con. While the cast gives the impression of interview clips, the illusion is shattered anytime a narrator uses the same voice for two people in a row. Voices range... Read More

Narrator Hillary Huber conveys the variety of emotions found in these personal essays, which urge listeners to rethink how they view climate change. A mix of science, history, and pop culture is all included in this discussion of the impact that colonialism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other systems of oppression have on the environment. Coming out as queer and... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld narrates this intriguing thriller about two apparently unconnected women in south Florida during Covid lockdown. A young wife reports that her husband and two children have been missing from their toney home on Reef Road. Nearby, an eccentric, solitary writer is obsessed with the unsolved murder of her mother's childhood best friend many years earlier.... Read More

FROM THE PUBLISHER: A high-flying YA anthology featuring thirteen short stories that turn superhero tropes on their head and offer fresh perspectives on modern myths. Triumph. Tragedy. The empyreal. The infernal. Even the mundane, filtered through the fantastical. Superheroes are, appropriately enough, a sort of super-genre, encompassing all other story types. This YA anthology... Read More

Narrator Danielle Cohen merges lyrical descriptions of 1954 Cornwall with portrayals of intriguing main characters. Burdened by secrets, a mother and daughter must find a new home. Cohen portrays the mother, Magda, with a Polish intonation and tones of sharpness and sarcasm. Magda's determination to renovate a derelict estate is contrasted with the longings and fears of her... Read More

Dion Graham and Sophie Amoss narrate a short story collection overflowing with examples of how savage nature, fate, and life can be. The thread uniting the 10 morally unsettling stories is the inevitable crumbling of any plan, the phenomenon that anything that can go wrong most likely will. From a guard at a military base who is unable to leave before the invasion of an unknown... Read More

Em Grosland narrates a lush and joyfully queer fantasy loosely inspired by "Beauty and the Beast." After years at sea, Darragh Thorn must decide whether or not to reconcile with his father. His journey is told in parallel with that of Merrigan, an enchanter. Grosland deftly maneuvers the dual plotlines, as well as the interspersed fairy tales from the world of the story. They... Read More

Part history lesson and part manual for social change, this audiobook is an inspiring listen. Hillary Huber pulls listeners in with an engaging optimistic tone as she narrates Cassedy's compelling memoir of founding the 9 to 5 movement and all that followed, including the iconic movie. In 1973, 10 women came together in Boston to address problems in the workplace, including... Read More

Narrator Brian Nishii's delivery brings a multicultural finesse to author Cheuk Kwan's search for Chinese restaurants around the world. Far-flung locations and flavorful menu items include poisson de sauce tomate in St. George, Mauritius; steamed grouper in Sâo Paulo, Brazil; and deep-fried squid in Colaba, Mumbai. These are just a few of the synergistic creations Kwan... Read More

Does anyone still read Edna Ferber? Her best novels--SHOW BOAT, SO BIG, GIANT, CIMARRON--hold up pretty well, but her short stories, as in this audiobook collection, show their age. Written just after WWI, they are solidly embedded in their own historical moment. The performances by a rotating cast are uniformly strong. Stefan Rudnicki stands out for the depth and resonance of... Read More

Akrosia Samson narrates this new novella by Scholastique Mukasonga with an array of accents, bringing its four interwoven stories to life. Samson's voice elicits the feeling of sitting round the campfire as the village storyteller shares the Rwandan mythos and its conflicts with the Catholicism of Belgian missionaries. Rife with the injustice and cultural erasure of... Read More

Donald Corren's performance is as balanced as it gets. He's tasked with conveying what is essentially an extended interview, in which journalist Barsamian's questions invite Noam Chomsky's detailed answers. Perhaps one of the most recognized public intellectuals, Chomsky fields questions on the nature of the pandemic, its impact on the wealth gap, and American politics over the... Read More

Rory Barnett's narration strikes a hopeful tone in this evenhanded look at the past and future of green vehicles. With his clipped BBC accent, Barnett details the high cost and human capital of green vehicle development, along with the environmental impact of acquiring the raw materials needed. A Tesla, for example, uses a mile of copper wiring, and at the rate we are consuming... Read More

Hackett's history ranges from ancient through Renaissance medicine, psychology, religion, and literature to provide an erudite but comprehensible study of Elizabethan ideas of the mind and how it works. Helen Lloyd's performance is the text's perfect match. Her clarity and vocal precision mirror the clarity of the writing, which is rich and detailed but not obscure. The... Read More

Kimberly M. Wetherell's skilled narration creates the perfect backdrop for this dark academic thriller. After a disastrous relationship, American PhD student Isabel heads to Scotland, where she reconnects with an old friend before finding herself at the heart of a series of mysteries old and new. Wetherell's strong narration, including her exceptional use of accents, is... Read More

Queer and trans writers share the indelible impact that horror films had on their lives as LGBTQ+ youth and adults. This vibrant anthology of new and previously published essays is performed by talented narrators. Incisive reflections connect teen slashers, demonic possession, creature features, body horror, and more to the authors' experiences with fractured relationships,... Read More

With his clear voice and flawless interpretations, Robert Fass's performance aligns well with this socially conscious documentary. It's an informed examination of the widening divide between various groups, written by a respected German journalist. He reports the stories of men and women around the world whose personal contacts with individuals in hated groups caused them to... Read More

Narrator Lucy Rayner settles quickly and assuredly into the character of aristocratic Miss Aleen Isabel Cust who, from the age of 6, is determined to ride and work with horses and other animals. From the late 1870s onward, Cust works tirelessly to overcome the hidebound male establishment and become the first woman veterinary surgeon in Britain and Ireland. Rayner adopts a... Read More

Eunice Wong's melodic narration weaves a tapestry of images from this historical tale. Ami has always lived on Culion, an island to which people touched by leprosy, like her mother, are banished. When Mr. Zamora, a malicious government official, removes all untouched children from their parents and sends them to a different island, Ami fights to find her way home again. Wong... Read More

L.J. Ganser maximizes the writer's humor in this meditation on the accidental discovery of 50 modern food favorites. He captures Farinetti's fascination with the discovery of everything from anchovies to soda. Listeners who consider themselves foodies will be delighted with this volume because of how the origins of common food items, like brownies, are revealed. Ganser is the... Read More

This audiobook is a lively assemblage of literary genres, including historical fiction, magical realism, coming-of-age fiction, and humor. Narrator Lilly Ganser gives voice to Franny Steinberg, who longs to be a stand-up comedian. The story takes place in post-WWII Chicago and moves from a nightclub run by a mobster's wife to the suburban home of a respectable working-class... Read More

Narrator Lameece Issaq is the pithy, sarcastic, millennial Noora, who is passing time as a blogger while pursuing her dream of being a writer in New York City. This audiobook is a hilarious romp through the Upper East Side and the offices of "Vinyl," a hipster magazine that doesn't turn out to be the job Noora has always wanted. Issaq plays up the ingénue versus the bad boss... Read More

Scott Takeda dazzles in his narration of this thought-provoking novel. After a Black man is killed at the hands of an Asian American police officer, Reed decides he's going to drop out of college and devote himself to activist work full time. But both his parents used to do activist work, and in a series of conversations with them and their former comrades, Reed begins to... Read More

The violent, complex history of the medieval Normans in France, England, Italy, and the Middle East and their outsize, indelible mark on history make for a remarkable story. Yet it's Norman history that the mouse in ALICE IN WONDERLAND reads to soaked characters as "the driest thing I know." Narrator Luke Thompson works hard to avoid drying out the listener by bringing a... Read More

Based on the true story of a gang of female shoplifters in 1920s London, this audiobook fictionalizes the criminal success of gang leader Alice Diamond, who rose from poverty to power and luxury. Hannah Curtis portrays Alice's bold audacity in a slightly gritty London accent and provides colorful characterizations of members of her gang. Curtis does well in depicting the... Read More

As Robert Fass narrates this wintry audiobook, he invigorates the characters through intelligent pacing and a fine storyteller's tone and empathy. The novel reveals a family's memories and long-held secrets through accounts of their participation in soaring ski-jumping competitions. One family member, a writer who is given a diagnosis of early-onset dementia, unearths dark... Read More

With Gerard Doyle's unique vocal mix of classical theater training, Estuary English, and a world-weary yet street-smart tone, one can practically feel the cold, rain-slicked streets of London. Certainly, one can sense the anger, loss, and betrayal of all the "slow horses," British intelligence agents who have been put on the back burners of their careers. When a young... Read More

Eileen Stevens and Brittany Pressley narrate the story of two sisters, Lillian and Rosie, who were torn apart by their parents' untimely deaths. Years later, they are trying to reconnect. Stevens's emotional account pulls us breathlessly into their world. A car accident involving both sisters has left Rosie unable to communicate after a traumatic brain injury. Will they find a... Read More

Listeners will notice the skepticism in Stefan Rudnicki's voice as he narrates some beliefs about Ukrainian history, like the theory that Attila the Hun was Ukrainian. The story illustrates the wide range of conflicting views that exist about the nation's past. Mostly, his deep voice clearly navigates about a thousand years of history, with author Andrew Wilson paying special... Read More

A luminous ensemble brings this delectable audiobook to life. Listeners follow three generations of the Izquierdo family. In 1958, Papa Tavo and Guadalupe moved from Reynosa to McAllen. The Izquierdos are sure a neighbor has placed a curse on them. They attribute all their sadness or bad luck to the curse. But not all the Izquierdos believe in this curse; listeners get a chance... Read More

Professional wildfire photographer Stuart Palley describes his life in the unique and frequently terrifying world of fire photography. Having witnessed some of the most destructive fires in California's history, Palley is no stranger to the heartbreaking loss of homes and the threat of imminent danger. In this audiobook, Palley brings his native Californian accent to tales of... Read More

The lovely and engaging voice of narrator Julia Atwood gives protagonist Mazzy Goodwyn satisfying emotion. Atwood's youthful tone fits the girl soldier, and her cadence subtly moves the suspenseful action of this story forward. Mazzy sounds appropriately surprised when she awakens one day with a set of wings. The confusing dystopian world she lives in is in the midst of civil... Read More

Shay Evans, the titular protagonist of this audiobook thriller, is a complex woman. She is a real housewife of Dallas--until her old college roommate turns up dead. Then she is forced to reenter the dark period of her college years. Narrator Alexis Van Aiken capably amplifies Shay's many conflicting emotions. Van Aiken's skill turns Shay into a likable character as she seeks... Read More

Narrator Nancy Wu expertly voices a wide range of vivid, engaging characters and shines as featured character Veronica Lewis. Vonny wakes up in the hospital in Nevada after a serious car accident and, during her evaluation, says that she is a college student at NYU. But a decade has passed since that time, and she can't remember any of it. Shortly after waking up, she discovers... Read More

Narrator Sarah Nichols sounds like a full-cast recording in this rom-com whose ending is never in doubt. Good friends but never lovers, Emmeline and Will marry so Emmeline can keep her family home, Winnover Hall. If after five years no heir is apparent, she will lose the estate. Eight years pass with no issue, so, with a family reunion looming, the couple "borrow" two children... Read More

Narrator Helen Lloyd transports listeners to rural Suffolk during WWII as villagers prepare to house a group of children who have been evacuated from London. Josephine Tey, a character based on a real-life Scottish mystery writer of the same name, and fellow residents find their lives turned upside down as a series of events uncovers sinister secrets. Lloyd's clear narration... Read More

Katie Schorr's sweet tones and gentle enthusiasm are perfect for this title, which aims to balance vision and practicality. In this age of remote and freelance work, the concept of living wherever you want is no longer a fantasy. The key is to understand whether or not various locations (including your current one) align with your values. Schorr's narration has an optimistic... Read More

An ensemble cast presents a complicated thriller with an atmospheric nod to gothic horror. Adele Rafferty, portrayed by Alana Kerr Collins, is an actress who gets a second chance at stardom by landing the lead in a new horror movie called FINAL DRAFT. But Adele's inner alarms are sent into overdrive when she finds similarities between her own life and the movie's script. She... Read More

Much has been written about the trailblazing of Jackie Robinson, the first Black man to play Major League baseball. Author Kostya Kennedy adds his biographical touch to a rich subject. Kevin Kenerly narrates with a dramatic voice, which works because it is aligned with the emotional tone of Kennedy's writing. The author follows Robinson through his life and career, focusing on... Read More

With his sublime vocal tone and sensibilities, Grover Gardner narrates the newly written preface of this 1951 autobiography of singer/actress Ethel Waters. After that, Robin Miles delivers a virtuoso performance that is perfectly matched with the heart and soul of this writing. Her dramatic skills are so comfortably applied here that listeners will find it impossible not to be... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella portrays Patton Harcourt, a small-town librarian in North Carolina who suffers from PTSD relating to her secret history as an intelligence officer. Zanzarella captures Patton's cool composure when her quiet morning is interrupted by sniper fire aimed at her kitchen. When she stumbles upon a plot to rediscover the Nazis' lost formula for Project Alchemy, her... Read More

Narrator Erin Bennett confidently delivers this compelling memoir, presented in the form of a mother's love letter to her teenage transgender daughter. The author seamlessly interweaves family experiences with the history and struggles of transgender people. The narrative begins with an account of an anonymous child abuse complaint made to DCFS regarding Hays's support of her... Read More

Markus Rex is a serious scientist who is on a unique mission to gather data and experience conditions in the Arctic Ocean by spending an entire year there, including purposely trapping his ship in the ice. Paul Boehmer's sonorous voice and deliberate pace match the scientist's seriousness of purpose. His delivery sounds a bit ponderous at the beginning, but Boehmer soon relaxes... Read More

Matthew Lloyd Davies is the strong, somber voice of this searing novel set in war-torn Ukraine. He brings across the enormity of Pasha's task: He is trying to cross the conflict-ridden country to be reunited with his orphaned nephew. This is a well-told, suspenseful tale that Davies capably dramatizes. His style and delivery maximize the tension of Pasha's mission while also... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller superbly narrates this imaginative reflection on Japanese citizens and their relationship with radiation. Zeller's performance is transcendent in this tale in which radiation becomes a character. Everything is radioactive. Geiger counters are part of daily life, as is Trinity, a mysterious disease of the elderly. Trinity is also a cyber-sex website offering... Read More

Although the plot of this audiobook is lighter than bubble wrap, narrator Grover Gardner does a great job extracting the humor from it. It's a tale of surfers who moonlight as hoteliers who accidentally solve a mystery. Gardner keeps the show rolling with a broad approach, using the drop-jawed uptalking SoCal-bro accent for the surfers ("Duuude"!) and a snooty British Received... Read More

Narrator Edoardo Ballerini elevates this poignant audiobook. He gives this series of connected essays a pliable reading that emulates the author's voice, which ranges from authoritative (on politics and economics) to interrogative (on Italy's future). His narration captures the work's moods--sometimes despairing, occasionally celebratory--through apt pacing. His tone befits a... Read More

Mooreghan Martin narrates this sapphic romance set in the heart of Texas. Summer Graves strives to preserve the abandoned high school her grandmother founded; Aiko Holt is the architect responsible for its reconstruction. Will their rekindled passion be enough to overcome their differences? Martin brings to life this primarily Black community with a Texas twang. The characters... Read More

Portraying the life of the seventeenth-century poet John Donne, narrator Simon Vance is, as always, eloquent, precise, and finely attuned. He delivers some of the finest lines in British poetry with ease and assurance. Donne’s poetic genius emerged out of long struggle and deprivation, shadowed by a love-match elopement that ruined his prospects but inspired much of his... Read More

Narrator Devon Sorvari captivates listeners with her magnificent portrayal of Joey, a 20-something everywoman who is attending a San Francisco art school in 2011. Before the audiobook's satisfying conclusion, Sorvari exquisitely expresses every moment of Joey's nail-biting distress and sharply observed humor as she wrestles with the demands of her overwhelmed mother and... Read More

The husband-and-wife narrating team of Stefan Rudnicki and Gabrielle de Cuir are perfect at navigating Wilkie Collins's elaborate nineteenth-century prose. They also illuminate the work's very contemporary empathy for its female characters. It all begins when an English noble returns home with a young governess for his daughter in tow. The husband falls in love. His wife is... Read More

This audiobook has an accomplished cast well suited to a story told from multiple points of view. Climate change has turned the Great Plains of the U.S. into a desert. A father and daughter's magic can make it rain--but the rain comes with complications. Curt Bonnem does double duty with the chapters told from the perspectives of the two major male characters. Hillary Huber... Read More

Pamela Almand's narration makes listening to this literary biography of Elinor Glyn (18641943) informative and intriguing. Soon after Glyn's socially advantageous marriage to her charming, philandering husband, she begins to realize that something is missing in her well-ordered life. Almand emphasizes Glyn's frustration and determination as she defies repressed Victorian... Read More

Eddie Lopez's performance oscillates between amusingly dry and bemused, a perfect dynamic for this short yet engaging audiobook. Working on a new novel, the titular writer spends little time writing and a lot of time thinking about the true nature of words, the contrast between Instagram and Facebook, and . . . bowel movements. Throughout, he opines over past sexual experiences... Read More

Emma Gregory shines as narrator of this historical fiction set during the English Civil War of the 1640s. Jayne Swift is a doctor in all but name. She trained as a doctor, but gender norms require that she use the title of nurse. When war breaks out, Jane vows neutrality and helps anyone she can. But being neutral is dangerous in such uncertain times. Throughout the war, she... Read More

Elisabeth Rodgers is a talented narrator who is highly suited to portraying the strong and resourceful private detective and lesbian Vera Kelly. In this third novel of the series featuring this outspoken but tenderhearted heroine, listeners follow Vera and her female lover, Max, to California, where Max confronts her wealthy family who have disowned her because of her sexual... Read More

A cast of five narrators brings to life a group of wealthy and self-absorbed housewives whose lives center around visits to the local beauty salon. When the divorce of the perceived leader of the group triggers her downfall, one of the other members, Olivia, employs a range of evil tactics in order to take her place. The use of multiple narrators to tell the story from... Read More

Narrator Jessica Almasy returns the listener to the small town of Papillon, Louisiana. While actress Brynn Pearson is there to film a movie, she rescues Deputy Major Blanchard when he gets stuck in the mud. Almasy laces her voice with a rich Cajun accent for the natives of the town. One of the town's deputies is from New York, and that is evident through Almasy's delivery.... Read More

Narrator Carmen Torres delivers this poignant audiobook about best friends with the ability to switch bodies. Jess's bold personality belies her desperation to be wanted and accepted by the people around her. Nina's caution keeps her safe but unable to advocate for herself. Swapping bodies connects them deeply, but blurring boundaries comes with its own complications. Torres... Read More

Mark Sanderlin narrates a novel loosely inspired by ANNE OF GREEN GABLES--if Anne had lived through a pandemic. As the unidentified pandemic ends, 14-year-old Gabe is living on an island in Maine with 17 other children. A timid teen, he experiences first love when he meets eccentric Relle Douglas, who lives on the mainland. Sanderlin captures Relle's similarities to Anne... Read More

Robert Fass's new performance of writer Frank Conroy's 1967 memoir has the feel of classic storytelling in the 1930s and '40s. It's a perfect match for the stories unfolding here. It's best to hear these stories in order--they work as a chronological narrative of nostalgic reflections. Amusement parks, train rides, comic books, and yo-yo tricks all make appearances. Yet... Read More

Sean Bridgers narrates the unique story of Yip Tolroy, who tells a colorful tale of adventure despite his inability to speak since birth. Bridgers's performance allows the listener to easily digest the sometimes stilted nineteenth-century speech and enjoy the author's delightful turns of phrase. Odd-looking Yip--who's short and completely bald--inadvertently commits a crime... Read More

This audiobook highlights why, in certain circumstances, nothing can replace the power of the spoken word. Aoife McMahon's narration is extraordinary, as are the first-person accounts she presents of the lives of refugees in Libyan detention camps and their efforts to escape seemingly unfathomable conditions. McMahon's delivery is precise and in many ways as haunting as the... Read More

Courtney Maum's memoir of finding her way through depression and insomnia by reconnecting with horses is honest, thoughtful, and wry. She recounts her journey to peace and a reinvigorated marriage with gentle humor and self-deprecation. It feels a bit like Maum is a close friend who is talking with you about deep topics. She is clear-eyed in her reckoning with teenage anorexia,... Read More

This audiobook is based on a popular BBC podcast with the same title. It's not an audio edit of that program but, rather, a rewrite and re-recording of some of the show's noteworthy case studies. Antonia Bath provides a you-are-there narration as the audiobook lurches through the centuries, digging through archival reports of delusional behavior. With her clipped British... Read More

Dashiell Hammett is among a handful of authors who are synonymous with private detectives. In the foreword of this audiobook, narrator Alison Belle Bews deftly details his place among the genre's pioneer writers. Eight classic cases follow, featuring Golden Voice narrator Stefan Rudnicki, the ideal choice to deliver Hammett's gruff, nameless PI from the Continental Detective... Read More

Narrator Sophie Amoss's intimate intensity grabs listeners from the get-go and holds them throughout this story. Residents of Vittoria have been told they are the only survivors of a plague caused by a sorceress in order to keep them inside city walls. One day, while hunting, Octavia meets Sima, a girl who was separated from her family while seeking a healer. Octavia vows to... Read More

This powerful collection of nine short stories about Southern queer and genderqueer characters engages listeners through emotionally attuned performances. The stories are rich explorations of identity and community. In “Lightning Man,” Krystal Hammond gives a soft drawl to a young photographer who travels to Ellis Island after discovering a revelatory photograph. In “The Daring... Read More

Graham Halstead performs this audiobook as if he is conspiring with the listener. He delivers the galloping historical novel, predominantly set in France, with just the right pace and intonation. His tempo works well for the many characters in a story that moves from small-town France to New York City. Music runs through the text, as well, as the family business of Henri... Read More

With an engaging South Indian accent and lively characterizations, Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani paints a vibrant listening experience in this first title in a planned historical mystery series by a Bangalore professor. Set in 1920s colonial Bangalore, the story centers on new bride Kaveri and her husband, Rumi, a doctor, who attend an Anglo-Indian banquet where a... Read More

F. Scott Fitzgerald spent much time exploring wealth and its effects on those who have it. The title character in this audiobook, Anson Hunter, suffers from his wealth as much as he enjoys it as he searches for love. The story's time frame covers the period from his days at Yale to his success as a stockbroker at age 30. Sadly, the audiobook suffers from narrator Wayne Evans's... Read More

Narrator Kathleen Early steps up to the challenge of voicing teenage boys and girls and then switching to an imperious female judge and a feisty female U.S. marshal. In this second book in the Andrea Oliver series, the plot moves back and forth from the troubled life of teenager Emily Vaughn in the 1980s to Oliver's first assignment as a U.S. marshal in the present day. Early's... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett's decision to narrate these personal stories in a straightforward, thoughtful yet intimate manner enhances these testimonies, reflections, and sketches of Native American attitudes on the climate crisis. His intelligent style works well. As he performs in a calm, conversational tone, his voice is attuned to the nuanced calls for action that the many... Read More

Deepti Gupta is a soulful voice for this feminist memoir about migration, food, and staying true to one's choices. As narrator, she is a believable stand-in for the author, who reveals her struggles, and those of her extended family, as they undergo many major life transitions. Gupta dramatically expresses Ghosh's disorientation at her new life in America, annoyance with... Read More

This collection of short stories is a listening treat that provides a kaleidoscopic view of Gabriel Garcia Márquez's fictional town of Macondo. Each of the four narrators is paired with specific stories, and their performances offer both variety and enthusiasm. Armando Durán's narration of "No One Writes to the Colonel" depicts the likable but somewhat pathetic titular colonel... Read More

Ann Richardson narrates the story of Julia Child as she developed recipes, found an editor and publisher, and eventually produced her popular television series "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Subtitled "The Remarkable Figures Who Shaped a Legend," the audiobook follows Child's ten-year path to fame, all of which is recounted in Richardson's bright voice. Richardson... Read More

Narrator Mark Bramhall portrays the bold, charismatic Zeno Marigold, a flying ace who survived the Great War to become something of an airborne traveling showman during the Great Depression. With his wing-walking wife and beloved Scottish terrier, Zeno hawks plane rides and daredevil stunts across the American South to scrabble earnings for food and fuel. Bramhall's slow pace... Read More

Scholar activists Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica Meiners, and Beth Richie present a united and powerful front in their examination of the essential intersectionality of abolitionism, feminism, queer freedom, and other anti-capitalist strands of both theory and practice from the nineteenth century to the current day. Dent narrates their collaborative work in a quiet, measured... Read More

Narrator Matthew Brenher tackles the trio of perplexing mysteries that confront Haxford England's Detective Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion. Brenher deftly captures the dapper, well educated, and precise detective. Enlisting the assistance of amateur sleuths from the local barbershop and a youthfully voiced cub reporter named Billy, Scorbion confronts issues ranging from a... Read More

This audiobook is for anyone who thinks they know and understand the life and challenges of singer Whitney Houston. Narrator Leon Nixon's impassioned performance as the author and real-life music critic obsessed with Houston will make you cheer. And maybe shed a tear. Nixon gives context to Houston's over-publicized life and career. When he breathes a song lyric or two--as... Read More

Matthew Brenher uses a cultured British accent to perform the eleventh installment of the Cynster Next Generation series. Lord Gregory Cynster makes a surprise arrival at Bellamy Hall, which he inherited after the death of Mrs. Timms and his Great-Aunt Minnie. Once there, he learns it's now in the capable hands of the chatelaine cum steward, Lady Caitlin Fergusson. Brenher... Read More

On June 2, 1892, Robert Lewis, a young Black man, was captured by a mob of men intent on stringing him up for assault of a white woman, for which he was never convicted. Listeners are transported to that day by narrator Dion Graham, who delivers an electrifying performance of the activities before and after this heinous crime. Port Jervis was a bucolic town in upstate New York,... Read More

George Newbern delivers this quirky novel in an engaging, welcoming manner, encouraging listeners to put everything else aside and pay attention. Pondside Manor is a care facility for the elderly. Robert, a computer scientist and resident who suffers from ALS, creates an immersive video game through which residents can enjoy life with deceased loved ones or manage otherwise... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning creates a matter-of-fact voice for William, nicknamed Worser, a seventh grader who has such passion for words that he's been compiling them into a lexicon. When his mother suffers a stroke, his aunt steps in to help them. Worser has a tough time adjusting to the changes in his mom's personality and being under the care of his aunt. He seeks refuge by... Read More

Kim Thuy's English is strongly accented (it's at least her third language, after all), and the rhythms of her speech are not those of a native speaker. But the listener adapts pretty quickly. After that, her tale of Vietnam, as told through the stories of various people caught up in the tragedy of the American War (as it is known there) and its aftermath, comes to life in a... Read More

Dion Graham's performance of this violent feminist survival story set in the American West is nothing short of incredible. After Ginny cheats on her husband, a group of locals avenge him by gang raping her and then dumping her body in a lime pit. She lives to avenge herself. Graham's tone is urgent when sister Ella nearly drowns and filled with horror when her horse is set on... Read More

With a touch of wistfulness and melancholy, Katherine Littrell narrates this fictional account of three Swedish explorers lost in the Arctic in 1897. Helene Gaudy based her story on the bits of a journal and luminous, barely discernible photos found 33 years after the adventurers disappeared. Littrell's thoughtful, methodical pace reflects their interminable plodding across the... Read More

The ordinariness of author Kathryn Davis's voice, which is light and pleasant despite being slightly nasal, focuses listeners on the extra-ordinariness of her brief memoir. Encompassing her life from her first trip overseas as a student aboard the S.S. AURELIA to the illness and death of her beloved husband, this audiobook is about journeys--the journey of life and death, what... Read More

In this biography of Hannibal, the story is propelled by narrator John Lescault's clear articulation and pacing, which aptly convey the calculating genius of the renowned general. Lescault's distinct voice recounts Hannibal's harrowing journey as he leads the Carthaginian army, with its elephants, up and down the harsh terrain of the Alps toward Rome. The measured narration... Read More

The third edition of activist Angela Davis's memoir, published nearly a half-century after it originally appeared, comes to listeners with the author's own measured yet confident narration. While she sounds her age--nearly 80--Davis continues to speak clearly and formally. When it was first published, when she was 28, this work offered a political perspective on her experiences... Read More

Dion Graham brings his substantial vocal abilities to this suspenseful novel. His narration style--measured yet intense--moves this thriller along dramatically, and he pays close attention to accents, a skill that matters in this series of connected stories set in Hong Kong, Mozambique, Macau, Florida, and Washington, DC. Most importantly, Graham captures the horrors in the... Read More

Other than an engaging narration by Eva Kaminsky, THE SWELLS doesn't live up to its promise as a "darkly hilarious satire." Its concept is amusing--a luxury liner filled with aging, excessively wealthy passengers experiences a class mutiny mid-ocean. Sadly, the story stretches credibility, and the characters remain merely caricatures. Kaminsky creates the hapless Briony, a... Read More

Bernadine Evaristo, author of the Booker Prize-winning novel GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER, narrates her new memoir with an actor's skill and an author's emotional engagement. Speaking in an attractively husky voice, with exquisite enunciation and pacing, Evaristo mines her life to explore what it's like to grow up visually different in majority white England. The daughter of a Black... Read More