Astrophysicist and data scientist Roberto Trotta and narrator George Weightman form the perfect team for guiding listeners on this wondrous journey through humanity's age-old relationship with the stars and night sky. The audiobook combines Trotta's lyrical prose and thoughtful scholarship with Weightman's engaging performance. Discussions of humanity's scientific understanding... Read More

In a patrician-sounding voice, narrator Zion Jang portrays a group of Washington, DC, interns. The senators they serve, known as the "Gang of Six," are considered the wheeler-dealers of the Senate. One of them is about to die. Listeners will enjoy Jang's performance as he creates a personality for each of the interns by changing tone and rhythm. Especially notable is Cameron... Read More

The very word "Belle Epoque" is melodious to the ear. Not surprisingly, a particular appeal of this richly detailed history of France's most fabled era, beginning in 1871, is narrator Paul Daintry's deft rendering of proper names such as Eiffel, Toulouse-Lautrec, Clemenceau, and Proust. Daintry's voice is not the most silken, but he effectively delivers the clamor of a divided... Read More

Narrator Timothy Andrés Pabon vividly conveys the struggle, passion, and extreme hardship that define Sir Walter Raleigh's quest for an elusive city of gold in the jungles of Guiana. Pabon narrates from deep in the throat in a kind of stage whisper that's highly effective for scenes of suspense and horror, of which this story has plenty. Raleigh was a colorful, controversial... Read More

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Welsh professor of ancient history at Cardiff University, presents a fascinating look at seven Cleopatras, the strong women who ruled ancient Egypt over generations in the last centuries BCE. His Welsh accent is smooth and consistent; even slight variations between British and American English pronunciations of some words flow smoothly. He is up to the... Read More

Narrator LJ Ganser guides listeners through this biography of Clayton Kershaw, one of the most dominant Major League Baseball pitchers in history. Kershaw has been in the limelight from the time he was a child in Dallas through his All-Star career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ganser infuses a bit of emotion into Kershaw's story, which helps listeners understand what makes the... Read More

In Elin Hilderbrand's final Nantucket novel, narrated by Erin Bennett, with a special appearance by Hilderbrand herself, Chief of Police Ed Kapenash's retirement plans are disrupted by a fire that destroys a brand-new $22-million home. At the time of the blaze, the owners, a new couple in town, are hosting a yacht party, from which their assistant, Coco, goes missing. Chief Ed... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella brings heaps of charm to her narration of this engaging fantasy romance. Twyla and Frank have been neighbors, then best friends, then partners in the Marshals, where they spent eight years patrolling the dangerous Tanrian world together. Now peril, dragons, and a handsome dracologist with eyes for Twyla have them examining their friendship in a new light.... Read More

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

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

No stranger to delivering a powerful message, author and narrator Luis A. Miranda, Jr., performs this memoir of his life in Puerto Rico, his political activism, and the power of the Latino people. When he left Puerto Rico for New York City, Miranda, Jr., expected to pursue a PhD in psychology. Instead, he chose a life devoted to bettering his community and the lives of those in... Read More

Kira Fixx narrates this intimate queer coming-of-age novel with the perfect mix of wistfulness and straightforward brashness. Sixteen-year-old Shae falls in love with Cam, who radiates passion and determination. Within a year, Shae is pregnant, and Cam has decided to transition from male to female. Soon Cam is starting a new life away at college, while Shae sinks into opioid... Read More

Catrin Walker-Booth's performance brings Dr. Greta Helsing to life in this charming novella--part of a series but it can also stand alone. Walker-Booth's skill with pitch, tone, and accents brings each of the characters to life. She beautifully depicts Greta Helsing, a physician who ministers to the undead, with compassion and intelligence. Walker-Booth's vocal range also... Read More

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

McKinley Morganfield's gift for hypnotic guitar playing and powerful singing took him from the cotton fields of Mississippi to widespread acclaim and a secure place among rock-and-roll royalty. In this extensive history, his energy and determination dominate the narrative, which provides details of his life and a gripping portrait of the world he conquered with his talent.... Read More

Kausar Mohammed passionately narrates this timely story of book banning, homophobia, and racism. Recently abandoned by her father, 18-year-old Indian American Noor Khan has been uprooted from her Chicago home and gone to live in a small town far away with her mom and younger sister. Noor is one of only a few Muslim students at her new high school, where she learns that the... Read More

Narrator Scott Brick delivers for fans of Crichton and Patterson. Based on research and notes left behind by Crichton, who died in 2008, Patterson and Brick combine their talents to finish the story and create characters driven to the edge to save the world. Brick's smooth and empathetic performance conveys the chills and thrills surrounding a volcano on the Big Island of... Read More

Eva Kaminsky had her work cut out for her narrating this very complicated story, which begins with the kidnapping of a young woman named Allie and involves a secret she's not even aware of. Kaminsky gives voice to Allie--and to Anna, a person in Allie's head who is part of the dark secret. Only Grace, who works for an obscure branch of the FDA, is willing to investigate the... Read More

Renée Watson turns her sharp introspection and heart to the story of Lena, a 40-year-old Black woman who is on the threshold of a dream wedding and a successful career. Narrator Zenzi Williams provides a steady, assured internal voice for Lena. Lena's aspirations for body acceptance are at war with her struggle to be herself; this conflict is manifested in devastating episodes... Read More

Author and narrator Ashley Goodall brings to mind the little boy in the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes," who calls out the obvious that all the adults collude to ignore--in this case, that organizational change leaves damage in its wake. Goodall's charming, easy-to-listen-to English accent, his well-tuned and varied pitch, and his perfect pace will draw listeners in and... Read More

A talented cast of voice actors, including playwright Barrie Kreinik, dazzle in this audio original. The play tells the story of Eva Le Gallienne, a queer actor and director who founded a repertory theater in New York City in the 1920s. Her work revolutionized theater, but she struggled to keep her creation going during the Depression. She also had trouble balancing her... Read More

Cary Hite narrates in a deep, resonant voice, giving this high school basketball story the gravitas it deserves. Author McCallum reveals some of the racial intolerance behind Indiana's rich tradition of high school basketball. He goes all the way back to 1954, when Milan High School and its all-white team won the state's high school basketball championship, a story first... Read More

Dion Graham brings Buster the dog to life as he narrates his life story. Highly acclaimed as a narrator and actor, Graham uses his considerable acting skills to share Buster's tale. Graham's voice, deliciously deep and a bit gravelly, lends itself to the voice of this canine. First owned by a family in public housing in DC, Buster is stolen by an abusive, alcoholic man and goes... Read More

This deeply moving family drama weaves together the lives of several generations of a Chinese family, beginning at the time of the Cultural Revolution. Katharine Chin's emotional range is particularly impressive as she seamlessly transitions among different time periods and perspectives, anchoring listeners to each moment in the story. From Yunhong, one of the star-crossed... Read More

Steven Weber returns to narrate the twelfth installment in Coben's Myron Bolitar series. Sports agent Myron is contacted by the FBI when the DNA of a previous client, Greg Downing, is found at a murder scene. But Greg is dead--or at least that's the last Myron knew. With his partner, Win, Myron sets out to discover if Greg is truly dead and how his DNA has now shown up. With... Read More

James Lurie shares the joyous and painful moments of an extraordinary life. Listeners meet Caleb Carr, the late author of the wildly successful novel THE ALIENIST, and his great love, Masha, a Siberian forest cat. Carr's father, Lucien, was a cofounder of the Beat Generation. Caleb suffered emotional and physical abuse from his alcoholic parents. Lurie movingly recounts Caleb's... Read More

Gary Tiedemann's strong, well-paced narration adds significantly greater appeal to practical advice that will help make the listener a more empathetic person, mate, and leader. After Amy Edmonson's foreword, Jeff Wetzler offers support strategies that help the listener determine what others are thinking, knowing, and feeling and--as a bonus--how to use these breakthroughs in... Read More

Narrators Anjali Kunapaneni and Vikas Adam create a vibrant and energetic atmosphere in this delightful collection of stories about Desi middle schoolers who gather at the Maple Grove Community Center. These preteens come from a wide variety of family structures, religions, and South Asian cultural backgrounds. Adam and Kunapaneni take care to give every character a distinct... Read More

Dr. Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid study and extraction mission, invites listeners to delve deeper into the project's early development and ultimate success. Lauretta creates a companionable experience as he conversationally discusses the trajectories of his personal and professional spheres. These include a sky-gazing youth in the Arizona... Read More

Retired U.S. Appellate Court Judge and esteemed civil rights attorney David S. Tatel's affecting memoir of blindness is a powerful listen. In his introduction, which Tatel narrates, listeners can sense the spectrum of emotions he describes. For anyone who has experienced vision loss, or knows someone who has, Tatel's story provides invaluable guidance on adaptations and... Read More

This audiobook quickly evolves into an eerie thriller, thanks to the extraordinary dialogue performed with precision by Paul Sparks. The story centers on Myra Larkin, who one evening befriends a young man claiming to be Mickey Mantle. That same evening, a triple homicide occurs nearby, which affects 13-year-old Myra and the entire Larkin family for decades. Sparks is an ideal... Read More

Christine Lakin captures Ellery Wainwright's unsteady state of mind so effectively that the tension in this mystery builds exponentially. Ellery finds herself alone at an exotic Big Sur resort after her husband leaves her. As she struggles through her major life change, she finds herself embroiled in a possible murder. When a major storm rolls in, the guests are cut off from... Read More

Narrators Natalie Naudus and Will Peters will delight listeners with this charming romantic comedy. After her manuscript is rejected by several agents, Daphne McFadden is ready to try something extreme, so she submits it again under a man's name. To her utter disbelief, it sells and does well, so she hires Chris Stanton to be her alter ego, Zane Remington. Naudus and Peters... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller invites listeners to the bustling semi-submerged city of Tiankawi. Mira, a border guard captain, has been working toward reform her entire career when Nami, an anti-human activist, is exiled to Tiankawi. Meanwhile, Cordelia, a sea witch, will stop at nothing to increase her family's power. Now she's ready to collect on her deal with a Siren to exchange her song... Read More

Powerful, enlightening, and entertaining are some of the superlatives that might come to mind as listeners are transported to the world of trial attorney Jack Lee in Virginia in 1968--brought to life by a uniformly outstanding cast. Narrator MacLeod Andrews uses accent, tone, and pace to masterfully portray Lee and the other white male characters. Lee partners with attorney... Read More

Georgina Sadler offers a sweet performance of this boisterous romance. Upon arriving in London for study abroad, Abbey is shocked to find that her housemates are all young men. Meeting the situation head-on, she keeps that fact from her father but soon finds she must keep other truths under wraps to survive. To make things more interesting, her housemates are all very... Read More

Adjoa Andoh narrates a short story collection by Ann Leckie that includes 18 works set in the worlds of the Imperial Radch and the Raven Tower, as well as several stand-alone pieces. Andoh's stellar skills are on display in every piece, making the stories of gods, humans, and other assorted beings incredibly compelling. Standouts include "The Sad History of the Tearless Onion,"... Read More

In mid-eighteenth century London, Lady Charlotte's upper-class lifestyle is captured in Katy Sobey's heartfelt and well-paced narration. Rejecting the idea of a betrothal to a duke with a nasty reputation--gossip suggests he murdered two wives--she takes her future into her own hands, pairing up with two female cousins who own a coffeehouse. With author Violet Marsh taking... Read More

With his amazing portfolio of voices, Michael Boatman draws listeners into PI Easy Rawlins's world in 1970s Los Angeles. Mosley's writing paired with Boatman's narration once again delivers a sociological tableau that keeps listeners engaged throughout. Rawlins accepts a missing-person case from his client, the alluring Amethystine Stoller. As Rawlins attempts to find her... Read More

Chris Lintott, British astrophysicist and host of the BBC's "Sky at Night," delivers an engaging performance. He takes listeners through serendipitous discoveries by professional and amateur astronomers. The author's affable hosting style and ease with sharing scientific concepts lend themselves well to a production meant to induce wonder and curiosity. The array of... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld unfolds the gripping tale of Solveig, a girl endowed with extraordinary fire magic. After her brother tragically kills a man, Solveig is sent to the north as weregild--compensation for the loss to prevent retaliation. There she unravels the sinister realities of the mythical Black Land. Maarleveld's narration is captivating, echoing the story's atmospheric... Read More

Heather O'Sullivan narrates a romantic fantasy inspired by Irish mythology. Fia is a changeling in the human world who is trained as a weapon and a spy. When an opportunity to free a stolen human princess arises, Fia is sent on the mission. O'Sullivan's portrayal of Fia's long and, at times, painful journey of self-discovery is emotionally resonant but doesn't shy away from... Read More

What's better than an action-packed, gender-bent account of a wild huntress fighting underworld creatures? This one is grounded by Kristin Atherton's energetic and deeply emotional performance. While Queen thelburg commands the Wessex army, her husband, Ine, struggles to play the political game. Meanwhile, Herla and her sisters, cursed by the thrill of the wild hunt, fight an... Read More

Narrator Justine Eyre returns to 1830s London in Book 2 of the Once Upon the East End series. She brings a seasoned flair for accents to the large cast of this novel, a gender-flipped retelling of "Snow White." When Jewish pawnshop owner Hannah Moses rescues Jewish financier Solomon Weiss, she's tempted to explore her attraction to him. But as the daughter of criminals, she... Read More

Listeners will find an honest coming-of-age story in this vivid performance by Krysta Gonzales. Twelve-year-old Winnie is staying at her grandmother's in New York City for the summer. She has always known she's a lesbian, but she still hides it from her family, and that makes her plans to attend Pride celebrations a lot harder. Gonzales's performance is focused heavily on... Read More

Twists and turns, flashbacks, and surprising revelations are handled deftly by the four excellent narrators of this epistolary novel, Cathrall's debut. While it's a work of speculative fiction, there is also mystery, light romance, fascinating underwater world-building, and magical academia. The four narrators bring the letters to life in the voices of their 15 writers. Kit... Read More

Laurel Canyon music legend Ellen Naomi Cohen, better known as Mama Cass of the 1960s folk-rock group The Mamas & the Papas, died at age 32. Her daughter, the author of this audiobook, was 7. Elliot-Kugell's slightly nasal narration of this biography is sincere, loving, and precise. But, sadly, the text seems unfinished and incomplete. What predominates is a compendium of... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw uses posh accents to portray the people of the nineteenth-century English village of Bardshire. Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude is approaching spinsterhood and is just fine with it since society never suited her anyway. Luckily, there is a place where she belongs: among the bees on the remote island of Innisfree. Her estranged grandmother reveals that... Read More

Narrating parts of this personal growth audio, the author sounds sincere and easy to understand. Her humane interest in helping others navigate today's challenging workplaces creates a satisfying connection between listeners and the humble person behind this guidance. When Winsome Brown narrates her chapters, her polished cadences and pitch range convey the strength and... Read More

Mary Jane Wells's eloquent voice captivates the listener as she delivers this historical romantic suspense. Jane Halliwell once had dreams of owning her own home. However, due to her father's death, those dreams never materialized. Now working as a governess to make ends meet, she finds her life turned upside down when her employer is murdered. To solve the crime, Jane must... Read More

Charlie Thurston's narration engages whether in flashbacks of Colton Gentry's high school years or accounts of his present-day return to his hometown. Thurston's fluid transitions transcend leaps in time and credibly illuminate Colton's ongoing affection for Luann, his first love. While Colton speaks in a neutral tone, Thurston's expressions of his interior reveal his struggles... Read More

Stephanie Willing, Xe Sands, and Steve Quinn work together beautifully to bring forth the emotional vibrancy, complicated family dynamics, and romantic entanglements in Leavitt's latest novel. With a youthful, textured intonation, Willing captures what it feels like to be Ella, a young woman who is coming out of a fraught situation in search of a fresh start. Sands's low,... Read More

Ramón de Ocampo's narrative momentum captures the dramatic 72 hours experienced by 17-year-old Antonio after he is released from a youth detention center. As Antonio reunites with friends and family, de Ocampo captures his anger at his wrongful arrest for robbery and the painful relationships that led to it. De Ocampo also expresses Antonio's remorse and desire to follow the... Read More

Chip Conley's narration of his own words of wisdom--drawn from personal and professional experiences, research, and stories of others--challenges listeners to rethink their approach to midlife. Speaking at a good pace in a friendly and encouraging tone, Conley addresses specific realities of aging, prompting listeners to answer questions, rephrase their self-talk, reach out to... Read More

Narrator Lyssa Browne guides listeners through this audiobook on the history and myths that surround the concept of the housewife in the U.S. From the idealized idea of the 1950s housewife to the contemporary woman who is expected to do it all with no help, this audiobook explores how expectations of women have changed and what can be done to create a more egalitarian society.... Read More

Barbara Benjamin-Creel's clear voice and strong performance bring Mendez's memoir to life. Mendez began her nearly thirty-year career in the CIA as a "contract wife"--an administrator who was the spouse of a CIA agent. Embarking into this "man's world," she used her brains, grit, and persistence to become an intelligence agent herself and eventually rose to be the chief of... Read More

Tanis Parenteau delivers Marcia Muller's latest intense Sharon McCone mystery. At first, Parenteau's scratchy voice is unappealing, but as she navigates more twists and turns than a carnival ride, her tone fits the story. Vandalism has hit several upscale San Francisco neighborhoods. PI McCone's agency is hired by a neighborhood watch group to keep an eye on local streets.... Read More

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, portrayed by January LaVoy, works side by side with her niece, Secret Service Agent Lucy Farinelli, to solve the murders of two suspected Russian spies. At a remote crime scene in the woods, an investigator casts an unusual oversized footprint and sends it to the lab for evaluation in secret. LaVoy's warm yet businesslike delivery... Read More

Performing this moving history from surviving members of the iconic singing group The Blind Boys of Alabama, Phil Morris captures the joys, hardships, and pathos woven into their 80-plus years of performing Black gospel music. You can hear the reverence Morris feels as he describes the pivotal periods of American history the evolving members of the group somehow survived. Their... Read More

Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders/Wiggins are the authors and narrators of this eccentric musical memoir. Both women are grand storytellers, although Wiggins is the smoother narrator, injecting more rhythm and modulation into her chapters. McGlory has the thicker Liverpool accent. Together, the pair re-create the musical history of their all-women band, the Liverbirds. The group... Read More

Sneha Mathan gives a dramatic performance of this story about Ganga, the Hindu mythological goddess of the river. Mathan's resonant voice adds emotional depth to her portrayal of Ganga, who experiences mortality before she is transformed back into a goddess who is unable to shed her bonds with the human experience--or the mortal son she has been forced to leave behind. Through... Read More

Fans of the author will welcome back familiar narrators in this stand-alone rom-com. Every woman Justin dates finds her soulmate immediately after they break up. Emma, who is similarly cursed, messages Justin after reading a Reddit thread about his love troubles. The two decide to "fake date" in the hope that their curses will cancel each other out. Real feelings develop... Read More

Longtime television and radio broadcaster Ray Suarez's professional voice, ease of delivery, and acute sense of story are a pleasure to listen to. His intimate performance gives the many oral histories and profiles in this audiobook a cumulative power. An empathetic reporter, Suarez has spent years gathering the material for this timely appreciation of immigrants at this... Read More

The cofounder of ROLLING STONE magazine, Jann Wenner, has released these original recordings of his interviews with superstar artists Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia, and Pete Townsend. The audiobook is a mixed bag, hampered at times by decades-old recordings. The interviews range from amazing statements by John Lennon to indecipherable... Read More

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are celebrated in this moving, inspirational audiobook. Karen Chilton, Adam Lazarre-White, and original contributors, including author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, narrate passages about what brought individual students to HBCUs and how their lives were changed. The result is a seamless listening experience. Contributors... Read More

History buffs will relish this well-narrated history of Britain's wartime disinformation campaign against Germany, but it also speaks to a broader listenership. The author is Ukrainian born, a respected British journalist, and a disinformation expert. He focuses on Thomas Sefton Delmer, a Britisher born and raised in Germany, and a master of German speech and slang. Delmer's... Read More

Barrett Leddy narrates the final audiobook in the Stolen Heir duology, told from the perspective of Prince Oak, who has been captured. Trapped in prison, he is hopelessly in love with his captor, Queen Wren. Leddy captures Oak's desperate conviction and smooth talking, both of which are intended to prove that Wren has his loyalty. With Queen Jude and King Cardan on their way... Read More

The final installment in the Patternist series is actually the author's first novel, originally published in 1976. Robin Miles narrates the series. In the distant future, the world has evolved such that the Patternists are now the dominant culture. They use their telepathic powers to rule and enslave "lesser" beings. Two brothers, Coransee and Teray, vie to become the... Read More

It's difficult not to recommend an audiobook this well researched and performed but just as difficult to recommend a history so unrelentingly horrific. Author Anna Reid is a gifted narrator and an equally fine storyteller--brisk, forceful, incisive. Her account of the civil war that followed the 1917 Russian Revolution portrays the international force that was sent to topple... Read More

Essayist and novelist Leslie Jamison chooses the tone and pacing of her narration as carefully as she selects the details of her powerful writing. These qualities, along with her candidness, invite listeners deep into her memories, which include the flower-filled hospital room where she stayed after delivering her daughter and desperate Internet searches for relief from her... Read More

Boady Sanden is a lawyer with lots of baggage, and it all gets unloaded in this audiobook. What starts with a request to get a new trial for a wrongly convicted murderer and seeming clairvoyant turns into a far more complex story involving Emma, whom he has raised since her father and mother's deaths and never fully come to grips with. Delivered by a team of narrators, with... Read More

Kitty Parker narrates a lush and atmospheric romantasy. In each generation, the most talented Everly is taken as payment for a wrong committed centuries earlier--until Violet Everly decides to break the curse. Parker's impeccable delivery perfectly matches the dense and sensuous tone of the story, emphasizing the moody and mysterious world in which Violet finds herself cast... Read More

Narrators Preston Butler III and Mela Lee beautifully portray a modern-day love story with deep connections to the Harlem Renaissance. Lee's upbeat tone and expressive voice embody Ricki Wilde, a bright, impulsive young woman who is opening a flower shop in Harlem with the help of her feisty 96-year-old landlady, Ms. Della. Lee has an uncanny way of adding and removing years... Read More

Inés del Castillo and Jakobi Diem captivate listeners in this heartfelt contemporary romance. Soledad Barnes is a planner with many talents who loves her three daughters unconditionally. When disaster strikes and shakes up her entire life due to her husband's deceit and lies, Soledad rediscovers her self-worth and confidence with the help of the admirable Judah Cross. Castillo... Read More

Thriller fans will be delighted that Hillary Huber continues her successful run as narrator of the Frankie Elkin series. In the third installment, Huber brings out the sassy charm of Frankie, an unconventional cold case investigator. She's hired by a serial killer on death row to locate her little sister, who disappeared in Hawaii. Huber impeccably pronounces the audiobook's... Read More

Narrators James Urbaniak and Jesse Vilinsky grip listeners throughout the roller-coaster ride of this inventive thriller. The story features the California Bear, a serial killer who mysteriously disappeared decades ago. As interest in the long dormant case is reignited, an ex-police detective, Hightower, and his cohorts go on a mission to reveal the real Bear. The plot unfolds... Read More

Kai Kennicott and Corvin King bring their vocal talents to the fore in this emotionally charged audiobook, which tells the story of Kerris Moreton's conflicted heart. Kerris stands at a crossroads between her commitments and her undeniable connection to Walsh Bennett. Her story is woven with complex layers of feeling, and Kennicott's performance deeply resonates as she... Read More

Narrators Emily Ellet and Joshua Jackson delight listeners with this endearing contemporary romance. Aurora Evans thought she would never again come face-to-face with Mike Martin, her fake Canadian boyfriend from the past. Now Mike is a pro hockey player and single dad in need of a nanny. Aurora and Mike discover they each have past traumas that they can overcome together. In a... Read More

Ana Osorio narrates with youthful wonder and gentle breathiness, adding to the atmospheric quality of this young adult horror story. When Case arrives at her friend Drea's house in rural Texas after receiving an invitation, she meets strange and unhelpful housemates--and Drea is nowhere to be found. Osorio's voice shifts to a tone of anxiety as Case gradually realizes that... Read More

This compelling psychological thriller adroitly weaves together a murder mystery with salient truths about being Black and in the crosshairs of law enforcement. Breanna's romantic vacation in New York City with her boyfriend, Ty, becomes a nightmare when a stranger winds up dead inside their swanky vacation rental and Ty goes missing. Ariel Blake skillfully conveys Breanna's... Read More

Lindsey Dorcus and Gail Shalan's wonderfully matched dual narration gives a satisfying emotional fullness to this warmhearted contemporary romance set on the sneaker-streaked hardwood courts of Tennessee. When former professional basketball player Elle Cochrane takes in her cousin's daughter, Vanessa, it draws her reluctantly back into the basketball world. Recognizing the... Read More

This complicated story of friendship, migration, and loss is told by Jessica Sarkodie, Ekua Ekumah, and Sarah Dorgbadzi. They create a delightful listening experience with lilting rhythms of slightly accented English. The trio display the variety of personalities in Ghanaian women as depicted in this tale of Selasi and Akorfa. As children, the two girls are best friends,... Read More

Sara Novak narrates the first installment of a new trilogy called The Soulfire Saga. Kat is a trained thief who is hoping to wipe out her father's debt. When a planned heist goes awry, she is sentenced to be executed and is then rescued by rebels. Everything gets much more complicated as political intrigue unfolds. The audiobook begins with the cast of characters and concludes... Read More

Dami Olukoya juggles the three central female characters in this audiobook. The lives of these expatriates play out amid the luxury of Singapore. Olukoya moves between Dara, an ambitious lawyer on her way to making partner; Amaka, a banker obsessed with designer brands; and Lillian, the newbie expat wife. Olukoya sets a quick pace, playing up the humor laced throughout the... Read More

The dual narration team of Charles Halford and Christine Lakin keeps this audiobook thriller moving along--actually, straight up, as the title suggests. Kurt, a former cop, is busted on trumped-up charges and finds himself headed to prison. That same day, Julie, the governor's daughter, is set to tour the facility. The day goes horribly wrong, and they end up trapped. Their... Read More

In this eighteenth entry in Berry's bestselling Cotton Malone series, narrator Scott Brick shepherds the new adventure with perfect pacing and emphasis. A CIA investigation into a stockpile of WWII Japanese gold stashed in Luxembourg's Bank of St. George pushes retired Justice Department operative Malone out of his Copenhagen bookstore and back into action, babysitting the... Read More

Rich Miller gives a solid narration of this history of the United States' transition from the post-WWII alliance to the beginning of the Cold War in 1949-50. Bunker shows us the people who made history with all of their foibles, hypocrisy, and human flaws. All of them are very human beings filled with confidence and, all too often, not much wisdom. My father and mother both... Read More

This timely audiobook on migration translates extremely well to audio due to its straightforward organization and clear summaries of statistical material. Matthew Spencer's measured pacing and professorial tone are well suited to represent the author, a Dutch sociologist who is director of Oxford University's International Migration Institute. The audiobook begins with precise... Read More

Narrator Henriette Zoutomou entices the listener into this story of frenemies who conduct a fake romance. Charity Simmons is a baker and part owner of a cat café; Will Schwartz is a marketing executive. Charity needs a boyfriend in order to stop her parents from trying to match her up with men they deem "appropriate." She turns to Will for help. Zoutomou provides Charity's... Read More

Anyone who wants to know what's going on in contemporary Black poetry should seek out this anthology. Most of the big names, including Rita Dove and Nikki Giovanni, are here, as are a great many less famous but highly skilled poets. The quality of the poems ranges from quite good to fabulous; there's not a lemon in this bushel. Performers Mahogany L. Brown and Joel Damany... Read More

Two incendiary performances make this debut fantasy soar. Five years ago, Faron became the Child Empyrean, a conduit for the power of the gods to overthrow the Langley Empire's hold on her island home. At 17, she's chafing at the title. An angsty edge to narrator Kamali Minter's voice distinguishes Faron from her scrupulous older sister, Elara, voiced by Keylor Leigh with... Read More

This ode to the berry-rich land by Tlingit author and Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade finds its ideal narrator in Erin Tripp, who is Lingít Deisheetaan. Tripp's skill with the Tlingit language is matched by her feeling for the ebb and flow of Goade's English text. The audiobook opens with a recitation of the many different berries of Sitka, Alaska, in both Lingít and English... Read More

Will Collyer's narration will hook listeners as author Douglas Preston reveals an assortment of true stories behind his fictional works. Listeners will have to wait for the final chapter to hear about the tomb where several of Ramses II's sons were laid to rest, protected by curses that are both amusing and chilling in Collyer's narration. Collyer also brings drama to his... Read More

Antonia Hylton does a bang-up job narrating her own work, a searing account of Crownsville Hospital, a segregated mental institution in Maryland that served as a dumping ground for any Black person whom white authorities found inconvenient. Crownsville was, for much of its 93-year history, not a place of healing, despite the best efforts of some staff members. Instead, it was a... Read More

Clara Kim narrates her mother's memoir. The initial chapters describe Nguon's early years in Cambodia, which were filled with the abundance of her mother's gifted cooking and the love of her older siblings. Interspersed are joyfully remembered recipes. Sadly, Kim's narration fails to capture the elegance of this memoir's language. Later, when Pol Pot's genocide necessitates... Read More

This revealing and provocative audiobook argues that the 1960s weren't the birth of psychedelic research--but the end of a long first chapter dating back to the 1920s. Golden Voice narrator Suzanne Toren effectively balances an account filled with ironies and reversals. The protagonist is famed anthropologist Margaret Mead, an undeserving casualty of the backlash against '60s... Read More

Author Jill McCorkle joins a talented group of narrators in a memorable performance of her terrific new short story collection. Sly, funny, perceptive, and searing, the stories explore what gets us through our days and years. Hayden Bishop, Teralyn Davis, Marcella Cox, Kathy Bell Denton, and Cary Hite bring a euphonious mix of Southern accents and helpful interpretations of the... Read More

While Nolan's novel begins as a police procedural, it soon evolves, with the help of narrator Jessica Regan, into a study of hereditary hopelessness. In England, as police investigate the murder of a small child, the novel pulls back the curtain on life in the 1990s with a focus on political and social forces of the period. Regan's prodigious range guides the portrayal of the... Read More

Rose Akroyd narrates this Booker Prize-longlisted novel about an autistic woman who is navigating a neurotypical world as a single parent. Sunday Forrester lives a quiet life in rural England with her daughter. She has "quiet days" and most of the time eats only white foods. When a middle-aged couple moves into the neighborhood, Sunday and her teenage daughter become smitten... Read More

This memoir about the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol combines an able narration by author Liz Cheney with clips of quoted material from actual sources, such as news reports and recorded speeches. As a result, the work has a sense of immediacy that cannot be duplicated in print. Because she was a longtime U.S. representative, Cheney knows how to... Read More

The much anticipated sequel to THE 6:20 MAN immerses listeners in the murder of Jenny Silkwell, a CIA operative who had returned to her hometown in coastal Maine to settle unfinished business. Narrator Zachary Webber leads the ensemble cast of Tiffany Smith, Will Collyer, Erin Cottrell, and Erin Bennett. Under the guise of being a federal agent, Travis Devine comes to town and... Read More

Mara Wilson and Emil Benjamin narrate a second-chance romance. Hannah Rosenstein and Levi Matthews were each other's first love and first heartbreak. After five years apart, can they rekindle their relationship? Wilson captures Hannah's anxieties over her job, her life, her relationship with Levi--anxiety about everything, really--but never lets it overwhelm Hannah as a person.... Read More

Steven Brand narrates this atmospheric thriller. Seven people awaken on a boat with no memory of who they are or how they got there. As they follow instructions periodically provided to them by an unseen force, a dangerous mission full of dark secrets unfolds. Brand expertly manages the intensity of his narration as the unnamed protagonist and his companions navigate mysterious... Read More

Robin Miles effectively serves as tour guide for the vacation from hell that is detailed in this audiobook. An extended off-the-grid family abducts Dr. Blake Maslin and his teenage twin daughters. Their captors have received superhuman abilities from an alien virus, and they infect the Maslins to increase their tribe's numbers. Miles smoothly reflects the minds of the... Read More

There's both humor and poignancy in this middle-grade fantasy. Mark Sanderlin animates the cast of characters, including young Nack Furnival, who desperately wants to be a knight; a goth girl necromancer and the bad guy she helps resurrect; a seer; and knights Willa and Barb. Nack thinks the sword he happens upon in a cave is an angel blade like the ones other knights carry,... Read More

Longtime sportswriter Dave Kindred narrates his memoir, which canvases his 80-plus years--from growing up and covering sports in a variety of places to retiring in the plains country of Illinois. His retirement "job" is covering a high school girls basketball team. When Kindred's wife becomes ill, covering the team becomes a catharsis. His voice and words suggest sweetness,... Read More

This classic postapocalyptic science-fiction novel is newly brought to life through the stunning narration of Ron Butler. Ron's years of experience as a voice actor shine in this sensitive and meaningful performance. Combining Octavia Butler's imagination, creativity, and expansive views with Ron Butler's narration--simultaneously very deep and matter of fact--creates a... Read More

It's not just you. Social media is built around a model that encourages conflict and rewards users with more of the same. It's refreshing that Justin Price's performance is so warm and, in a welcome contrast to the subject matter, thoughtful and evenly paced. Listeners are provided a clear, concise history of the Internet and social media. Why do people gravitate so quickly to... Read More

Robin Miles brings to life this compelling and thought-provoking novel about grief, connection, and hope. After the loss of their infant, a college professor named Rio and her husband, Gibraltar, decide to create a safe haven in Massachusetts. They build an underground sanctuary for those who are finding it impossible to deal with today's frightening and ever-changing world.... Read More

Five remarkable narrators create an unforgettable portrait of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. Brad Griffith provides the main narration as Adam Paskow, a language and literature teacher who lost his beloved wife, Kasia. After being relocated to the Warsaw Ghetto, he is recruited by the real-life Oneg Shabbat to document the histories of the Jews there. Jesse Vilinsky, Sharon... Read More

Jennifer Jewell does a fine job narrating her own work, a fascinating and sometimes frightening examination of the complex world of seeds. It is personal, political, and technical as it dives into the work of seeds, the threats they face, and the politics and economics that surround them. Jewell hosts a National Public Radio program and podcast, so she is no stranger to the art... Read More

To riff on a statement by Winston Churchill, capitalism is the worst economic system--except for all the others. In this constructive and well-narrated audiobook, NEW YORKER journalist Nick Romeo introduces listeners to companies and jurisdictions that have successfully challenged traditional capitalism with projects such as true pricing, participatory budgeting, and guaranteed... Read More

Eric Jason Martin presents this history of the Luddite Uprising in nineteenth-century England like a war correspondent embedded among the rampaging textile workers. His gung-ho narration enlivens the audiobook and complements the workers' fight for their livelihoods against the one percenters of that era. The audiobook sets the record straight regarding the goals of the... Read More

Dion Graham skillfully breathes life into the diverse characters in Pelecanos's four novellas, vividly portraying the communities that constitute Washington, DC, beyond its political facade. Across different timeframes, these stories unveil ordinary individuals who are grappling with personal challenges and having to own up to them and take responsibility. Golden Voice Graham... Read More

Yu-Li Alice Shen and Andrew Grace deliver this believable romance with a duet-style narration. Rooney, an artist, is enraptured with Chinese red string lore, the belief that love is tied to fate. Jack is a NASA engineer visiting New York. A chance encounter at a Lantern Festival party leads to a fabulous night that ends with a wrong number exchange. Several months later, the... Read More

Greta Jung performs these science-fiction stories from National Book Award finalists Bora Chung and translator Anton Hur. In one story, an elevator falls in love with one of the residents in its building. In another story, a robot tries to survive in a postapocalyptic world in which humans are nearly extinct. Jung narrates the audiobook with deep understanding of the characters... Read More

This fast-paced story of Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter is delivered with palpable relish by Will Collyer. Recounting the saga from the points of view of several ex-employees, the author attempts to put Musk into context; ex- (and perhaps current employees) talk about a man who is brilliant, engaging, funny, and always contrarian. He is also alone, lonely, and, after a year of... Read More

Mark Elstob is especially effective at narrating classical history, medieval fantasy, and complicated scientific and theoretical narratives. His deliberate pace, expressive diction, and carefully calibrated tone are invaluable to the listener who is less informed about subjects remote, specialized, or abstract. Those skills prove essential in this portrayal of the sixth-century... Read More

Will Collyer narrates this tale set in 1868 in Texas. Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Shreve writes a letter to a boy named Tot, describing how he met Tot and his mother and the short time they spent traveling together. Collyer infuses Shreve with a heart of gold and a spine of steel. Listeners will feel the slow tug when Shreve first sees and then falls in love with fully pregnant... Read More

This useful and often moving audiobook is the latest manifestation of the author's lifelong interest in promoting curiosity in people--about themselves, others, and the world around them. His performance is a wonderful vehicle for his altruistic message and charming personal stories. His youthful narration is occasionally overly precise, but the combination of innocent devotion... Read More

Ntozake Shange's posthumous unpublished collection of plays, poems, and essays is brought to life by a stellar ensemble of narrators. It begins with Tarana Burke's personal foreword on meeting Shange and leads into Imani Perry's soft-spoken narration. Her even tone encourages reflection by anyone who connects with Shange's work, which has impacted Black women for decades. Each... Read More

Fans of James Patterson will no doubt appreciate the latest installment in the Alex Cross series. A cast of thousands (OK, 7) take on roles that range from good cops to killers, spouses, and family members in what sounds like a made-for-TV drama. Wayne Carr does an excellent job portraying the gravitas, intellect, and humanity of Cross. Kiff VandenHeuvel serves double duty as a... Read More

Although the current controversies surrounding the Supreme Court may seem like a new phenomenon, this captivating audiobook dispels that notion and highlights how the Court has frequently been a political lightning rod. Brian Troxell sounds like your favorite history professor as he uses emotion, intensity, varied voices, and inflection to bring to life the many personalities... Read More

Kim Mai Guest narrates this stand-alone sequel. The story is about Pacy's life in New Hartford, New York, and the many changes she experiences throughout a calendar year. Pacy faces her best friend's move to California, her fear of losing a library book, her concern over her future as an author and illustrator, and her understanding of where, as a Chinese American, she fits... Read More

The powerhouse ensemble of Soneela Nankani, Deepti Gupta, Vikas Adam, and Akshay Kumar present this sprawling fantasy set in an Indian-inspired futuristic desert kingdom. Nankani delights as proud and prickly Elena Aadya, who is on the verge of assuming her country's throne--if she can master the unpredictable fire magic of her royal lineage. Disgraced assassin Yassen,... Read More

The perspective of this audio memoir is interesting: A Black cop in Minneapolis is a school security officer who doubles as the football coach. As author Charles Adams opens up about the challenges of his jobs, he is candid about inner-city problems and offers solutions. The venerable Leon Nixon shapes the memoir using inflection at all the right moments. He imitates angry men... Read More

Journalist Lisa M. Hamilton uses a neutral tone, raising her volume occasionally to highlight extremes as she tells the story of Ia Moua, a Hmong immigrant who escaped wartime Laos and holed up in a Thai refugee camp, finally making her way to Fresno, California. The steadiness of Hamilton's voice is anchoring as Ia deals with beatings by her husband, the guns of invasive... Read More

Donald Bogle's narration may fall short of sounding polished, but he performs with relaxed confidence that will draw listeners into this audiobook. His vocal character matches his status as an expert on Black cinema history and the life of the singer and groundbreaking actor Lena Horne. After her show business beginnings in Black New York City nightclubs, Horne worked in 1950s... Read More

Series narrator Robert Glenister is spot-on delivering Book 7 in this popular series. PI Cormoran Strike is thinner and almost alcohol-free, while his work partner, Robin, is romantically involved with a hunky cop. They're hired to search for a man being held against his will within the Universal Humanitarian Church, a religious cult whose members keep disappearing. Robin goes... Read More

Peter Giles masterfully portrays the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, a defense attorney whose office is his car. Giles is joined by Titus Welliver, as LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, and Christine Lakin, as Renée Ballard. Haller, having just experienced the exhilaration of overturning an innocent man's conviction, has launched his own innocence project. With Bosch's help, Haller is... Read More

Erin Tripp chronicles the scientific advancements of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America, in a matter-of-fact voice that complements the narrative. An introduction includes a note on pronunciations and word usage. Throughout each section, extra facts and information are shared, offering more context for the listener. As Tripp covers topics that range from... Read More

Curtis Chin smoothly narrates this memoir of his life and his family's Chinese restaurant, where he worked while growing up. Don't listen to this audiobook when you're hungry--all the food sounds delicious! Chin was raised in Detroit in the 1980s by a mother who set high standards for him and his siblings because she herself wasn't allowed to finish school. He learns how to... Read More

In her own inimitable style, Leslie Jones tells listeners how she embraced and reveled in her self-worth, and learned more than a few hard lessons en route to becoming a larger-than-life comic performer. Before GHOSTBUSTERS and "Saturday Night Live," Jones came into her own at comedy clubs in Los Angeles and New York City, making a name for herself and developing her voice. No... Read More

Beloved actor Ed Begley Jr. narrates his own deeply confessional memoir about making mistakes in Hollywood, learning to find his center, and the joy of activism. From a young age, Begley found himself in a world of complicated family dynamics, substance abuse, and a unique friend group that both pulled him into and got him out of trouble. Inspired by decades of personal... Read More

Sean Runnette is comfortable with the athletes' names, the jargon, and the general tone of this audiobook. He's a good fit for MacCambridge's conversational style. The 1970s were a decade of fundamental change in American society, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the world of professional sports. At just under 18 hours, THE BIG TIME is sprawling--some long sections... Read More

Narrator Donald Chang faces a particular challenge with this audiobook: how to produce the sound of testosterone. In the world of this fantasy-adventure, warriors fight to determine the fate of nations. Chang skillfully animates the pair at the heart of this stirring work, former champion Grievar Murray Pearson and his latest protégé, the talented but callow Cego. In addition,... Read More

Kristi Burns narrates in a confident tone as she recounts author Andrea Lankford's strong record of finding missing hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada. Lankford's participation in searches dates back to her days as a national park ranger. Burns re-creates the varying moods of search parties along the PCT, the elation of making progress during... Read More

Elizabeth Hand's riff on Shirley Jackson's HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, narrated with aplomb by Carol Monda, thrums with tension and dread. When New York City playwright Holly Sherwin stumbles across an eerie mansion in Upstate New York, she's certain it's the perfect place to rehearse her new play. Holly; her partner, Nisa; fading actress Amanda; and sound technician Stevie gather... Read More

Mankind is facing a global climate crisis of our own making, and if we can learn from our past, we can save ourselves. But it will require worldwide cooperation. These are the key points of climate scientist Michael Mann's audiobook. Tim Campbell offers a straightforward narration. Listeners will be able to follow the author's logic and appreciate his discussion of climate... Read More

Sarah Slimani uses crisp consonants and fluid vowels as she inhabits the characters in this paranormal mystery set in an alternative universe where magicians, sorcerers, and powerful creatures hide in the shadows. Isolde Wilby's role as wielder of hexes meshes with her husband Warren's unassuming ways as a protector and a superb chef. Hired to locate the king's missing signet... Read More

An audiobook that tracks Homer's composition of THE ILIAD sounds speculative at best. Such discussions usually rely on verbs like "might have" and "could have." But working largely from the poem itself, Oxford scholar Fox assembles a remarkably rich and convincing portrait of a figure who could have composed and recited from memory a poem of over 15,000 lines. Narrator Robin... Read More

Elise Arsenault expertly delivers a truly excellent and detailed look at singer Madonna's life. From her humble beginnings, Madonna has become an icon for her music, as well as the causes she has championed over the years, such as AIDS awareness. Despite her success, she, like many celebrities, has also endured criticism for her choices of artistic expression. Arsenault offers... Read More

Aaron Neville's fans will look past the author's flat performance and be moved by the poignancy of the R&B singer's story. He's fully present as a narrator, and listeners will hear the joys of his musical achievements and the sorrows of his on-and-off struggles with street drugs. Between his 1966 chart-busting single, "Tell it Like It Is," and his 2014 Grammy Hall of Fame... Read More

Memoirs narrated by their authors always sound more authentic. This audiobook is no different. Jonathan Conyers, who works with at-risk communities in Brooklyn, shares his complex personal story of growing up in a chaotic household with two parents whose drug addictions often kept the family homeless. Yet they were committed to their children obtaining an education. Conyers's... Read More

This funny and sweet queer retelling of Jane Austen's EMMA, set in a wealthy Southern California high school, may remind listeners of the 1995 movie CLUELESS. Narrator Drew Caiden is pitch perfect as smart, handsome, popular Emmett. He prides himself on being nice and, as one of his acts of niceness, attempts to find a boyfriend for his former hookup. Caiden ably animates the... Read More

Lol Tolhurst of the goth band The Cure describes the feelings of otherness behind his music. In a rough timbre and British accent he reveals insights into goth music and literature. He recalls early musical influences, such as John Peel, the pirate radio veteran who joined the BBC, and growing up Catholic in protestant England. Tolhurst's voice still reflects his joy at... Read More

British actor Ben Onwukwe contributes the adamant and histrionic tone and British accent that are appropriate to a postcolonial audit of Britain's colonial past. The focal point of the narrative is September 29, 1923, the date that marked the Empire's greatest territorial expanse. All before that was acquisition; all after it, loss. And well-deserved loss, too, by this account.... Read More

Cynthia Farrell returns to skillfully voice a wide range of characters-- male and female--of all ages. In the fourth installment of the Nora Kelly series, junior FBI Agent Corrie Swanson partners with forensic archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate the disappearance of nine graduate students during a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. The discovery of six... Read More

This audiobook takes a dramatic approach to the often unsung role of baseball's backup catchers, who may play only a few innings a week--or not at all. Narrator Justin Price gives them the emotion and drama they deserve, in part by slightly altering his voice for quotes. His delivery is a great example of how a narrator can use technique to capture the writing. Brown and... Read More

Narrator Sura Siu creates a youthful, determined voice for almost-seventh-grader Tessa--who is heading to Japan for the summer to visit her paternal grandparents after getting in trouble at her summer camp in San Francisco. Before leaving, Tessa was visited by a mysterious figure who gave her multiple warnings of imminent danger. With great zeal, Siu establishes unique voices... Read More

Author and narrator Laura Belgray offers an unfiltered and amusing retrospective on her life and career while delivering valuable life lessons. Belgray's quick-paced, well-modulated voice brings to life cringe-worthy and refreshingly honest episodes with a self-deprecating charm that only she could provide. She candidly shares her desires--fitting in with the "cool kids," being... Read More

Lauren Fortgang performs this clever satirical novel with a quick pulse and a snappy cadence. She does a fine job adjusting to the mood swings as two courses of action--science and revolution--intersect. She gives Helen, the protagonist and self-referential narrator, a sense of the absurdity of her plight. A brilliant scientist with an extraordinary ability at calculation,... Read More

Energetically narrated by Jason Culp, this excoriation of our social media-obsessed world, which is now flirting with AI-infused virtual reality--all foisted on us by Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, and Marc Andreessen--is convincing, if disquieting. The author has a deep grasp of his subjects and subject matter. He identifies the ways that his four technocrats have... Read More

Listening to PHOEBE'S DIARY, narrated by the author and artist, is like opening a time capsule from the mid-2000s. Amid pop-culture references like mix CDs and Myspace, drawn from her own diaries, Wahl delivers a charming and authentic look at her teen years. From first crushes to first kisses, from body image struggles to friendships and family dynamics, Wahl opens up as if... Read More

After Elton John's songwriting collaborator delivers an introductory note with appealing sincerity, John Lee narrates Bernie Taupin's story with boyish charm and beguiling enthusiasm. His sensitivity to Taupin's perspectives and the rhythms of his literary writing is palpable and quite beautiful to hear. Taupin is an uncommon pop music guy--self-aware and humble. His literary... Read More

With its title coming from one of the most iconic film lines ever, this audiobook tells the story of the making of the famed 1992 movie A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. It dives into the life of director Penny Marshall. While the author digs into the creation of the movie and its actors, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw gives an emotional narration that reflects the energy and happenings on and off... Read More

Despite its somewhat overly dramatic title, this audiobook offers insights and fascinating tidbits about a variety of birds and their roles in human history. From ravens--first mentioned in the Book of Genesis--to Darwin's finches and their role in theories of evolution to emperor penguins and their future in the face of climate change, birds are a key indicator of our planet's... Read More

Popular historian Tom Holland will be familiar to many listeners through the books RUBICON and PERSIAN FIRE, and his podcast THE REST IS HISTORY. He is an effective narrator, but his thick British accent and higher pitch require some time to acclimate to. Holland's strength is his lively, richly detailed material, so immersive that a listener is soon swept up in the action and... Read More

Classical history, that most venerable of subjects, is most effectively narrated by British voices, the more cultivated the better. Mark Elstob fills that requirement with grace and precision, and with a composure that keeps the bloodier elements of ancient geopolitics at a comfortable distance. In historian and novelist Goldsworthy's history of the ancient West's most powerful... Read More

Themed poetry anthologies built around concrete topics such as children or gardens can contain immense variety. When they are built around feelings, however, they run the risk of being weighed down by the similarity in their works, especially in audio anthologies. So while the poems here are all good and all are read well, their single focus on a sense of wonder makes them... Read More

Hey there, demons! After seven spooky seasons of their beloved web series, cohosts Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara add Marc Vietor to the cast for their debut audiobook. Explore 101 creepy locations and the supernatural, otherworldly, and paranormal histories behind them. Vietor, the deliberately monotone narrator, introduces each case with a brief overview but is constantly... Read More

This extensive anthology captures the histories of Persian and Afghan women who have fought and defended their country over centuries. The ensemble cast of narrators, including the author, come together to represent these varied profiles in all their vividness. With the production's mixture of male and female voices, fans of history and international fiction will find much to... Read More

Rasha Zamamiri and Peter Ganim narrate this Egyptian-inspired fantasy audiobook. Since the murder of her family and the outlawing of Jasadi magic 10 years ago, Sylvia, the Jasad heir, has been in hiding. But now she has a chance encounter with the Nizahl heir, Arin, who is hunting for a group of Jasadi rebels, and that encounter puts her quiet life in jeopardy. Sylvia's... Read More

Rebecca Lee portrays characters of various social classes as she narrates this Sapphic fantasy. When the queen dies, religious prophecy declares that 13-year-old Brianne is the new queen--although her bossy older sister, Elodie, believes Brianne is unfit to rule. In a Cockney-like accent, commoner Sabine wrestles with her "darkness," a depression-like affliction that speaks to... Read More

With a calm, even feel, actor/director and German native Sam Peter Jackson presents this detailed and intense insider's history of a newly minted post-WWII country that was often caught between Russian political purges and American Cold War pressures. This account is told from a fresh non-Western point of view, and Jackson's tone reflects the defiant pride in the author's... Read More

This delightful Regency romance has a mystery and a handsome lord to be absolved of wrongdoing. Listeners will applaud the many voices of narrator Moira Quirk. She is the brash Lord Webb, who has a heart of gold, and the astonishing heroine, Marjorie Wynchester. Marjorie is deaf in her left ear, due to a bout with smallpox, and she's an excellent forger, who, along with her... Read More

Macaela MacKenzie's audiobook is on a subject she is passionate about --equity for female athletes. Courtney Patterson brings exuberance to the narration; it's an appropriate tone for MacKenzie's well-researched and reasoned work. Patterson's tone also includes incredulity, annoyance, and a strong sense of pride--which marry the research and writing perfectly. Using statistics... Read More

Set in 1977, the third Charlie and Margaret Marder mystery focuses on Ike and Lucy, the Marders' adult children. The novel alternates between the perspective of Ike, portrayed by Rob Shapiro, and Lucy, portrayed by Meg Price. As the country struggles to move beyond Nixon/Watergate, Ike, a U.S. Marine/Vietnam vet, takes off with Evel Knievel's crew. Shapiro, the stronger... Read More

In this exciting first installment of a new historical romance series, narrator Justine Eyre brings to life a swoon-worthy love story amid the complexities of Jewish society in 1830s London. After her beloved father dies, 23-year-old Isabelle longs to take his place in his surety business. Thwarted by the gender and religious bigotries of the time, as well as her father's... Read More

This story of a talented queer artist's coming of age finds a mostly apt vocal match in narrator offbeat kiki. Sophomore Maya Krishnan's life is upended by the arrival of two charismatic characters: her estranged father, a world-famous artist, and senior Juneau, a student activist. With her father Maya encounters the complications of family ties. With Juneau, Maya explores... Read More

This audiobook demonstrates yet again that history's footnotes often have the most revealing and important stories to tell. Narrated in a perfect tone and mix of emotions by Lisa Flanagan, the work focuses on how a German agent, a prominent American's wife, and Mussolini's daughter, Edda Ciano, worked to transfer the diaries of Edda's husband, Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo... Read More

Neither artistic Kai nor wealthy Phoenix, portrayed by Ewan Chung and Christina Ho, feels at home in Hong Kong. Phoenix spent several years in the U.S. and Kai lived in Shanghai. Now both teens struggle with Hong Kong's Cantonese dialect, a plot point clearly made in audio. Resigned and bitter, Kai is enrolled in the police academy by his estranged father and becomes an... Read More

Natalia Castellanos narrates a high fantasy inspired by the history and mythology of Venezuela. Reina, the granddaughter of a sorceress, is violently attacked on her journey to visit her grandmother. Once she arrives, she becomes embroiled in a plot to harness the powers of a god. Reina is deeply conflicted about what is required of her, and Castellanos captures her grief,... Read More

A Beverly Hills heiress has gone missing, and maybe she doesn't want to be found. In this "authorized" Raymond Chandler mystery Scottish crime writer Denise Mina and Golden Voice narrator Scott Brick team up to flawlessly re-create one of the toughest, most poetic, most human voices in all of fiction. Tracking the young socialite from back-alley boarding houses to Skid Row dive... Read More

Victoria Fox's incredible performance elevates this reimagining of the Old English poem featuring Beowulf's legendary battle with the treasure-hoarding fire dragon, Fyrdraca. Here the famed warrior-king becomes a favorite uncle to Fryda, an aspiring shield maiden who is caught between her love for Theow, an enslaved Gaelic man in her father's household, and the emotional... Read More

Henriette Zoutomou delivers an enchanting performance in this fantastical romance. Xavier is a prince in need of a true love's kiss to break a curse. Ursula is a fortune teller who is looking for love again. They agree to break the prince's curse by finding the perfect kiss, and as they set about doing so, their mutual attraction grows. Zoutomou's narration is soothing yet... Read More

Nicola Barber's crisp British accent and tone of self-doubt work well in depicting Abigail Rook. Abigail has recently inherited the psychic abilities of her employer, R.F. Jackaby, the protagonist of four previous mysteries. No longer an assistant, Abigail must now take the lead in the firm's supernatural detective work. Barber shifts smoothly to Jackaby's American accent and... Read More

This heartfelt memoir takes listeners from Kerry Washington's childhood in the Bronx through her award-winning career thus far. The Emmy and SAG winner and Golden Globe nominee recounts her extraordinary life as a Black female actor and activist who aims to break down barriers, as well as a devoted daughter, mentor, director, and producer. With humor and honesty, Washington... Read More

Devotees of Greek mythology will devour this performance. A follow-up to North's popular ITHACA, this substantial audiobook focuses on Penelope and Elektra, with plots aplenty. Catrin Walker-Booth is wonderful to listen to, and she is well suited to the drama that unfolds at every turn. Her performance moves from sophisticated to bawdy without missing a beat, and she captures... Read More

Shaun Taylor Corbett splendidly narrates this biography of Ira Hayes, a Native American Marine who was one of the six men pictured in Joe Rosenthal's famous picture of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the battle for Iwo Jima in February 1945. Many historians have emphasized the tragedy in parts of Hayes's life, and there was certainly much of that, including his... Read More

Gary Tiedemann knows how to bring out the best in a strong narrative and, more importantly, how not to tamper with one. His delivery is brisk, highly focused, and steady throughout. The author's discussion traces the course of the U.S.'s growing domination of the Western Hemisphere through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries--backed by the Monroe Doctrine and... Read More

André Santana and AJ Beckles lead a talented ensemble in delivering this heartfelt romance about healing from trauma. Santana voices Logan, an actor infamous for his terrible behavior. Beckles voices up-and-coming actor Mattie, Hollywood's latest golden boy. When publicity for their new rom-com fails to bring in audiences, they agree to pretend to date. Santana captures Logan's... Read More

The hilarious Philomena Cunk (the alter ego of British comic Diane Morgan) narrates her own encyclopedia of the world. Her voice and delightful British accent are half the fun as Cunk combines real facts with absurd falsehoods in this send-up of TV experts and historians. The best part is that she delivers the information without a hint of sarcasm. Americans and other non-Brits... Read More

Christine Lakin delivers this audiobook about the politics of Helen Keller, an early-twentieth-century deafblind disability rights activist. The story of how she learned to communicate at the age of 7, dramatized in the 1959 play THE MIRACLE WORKER, captured the hearts of Americans, and she became an iconic figure. But many people didn't know she was a member of the Socialist... Read More

Michelle Dowd's youthful voice makes it easy for listeners to be transported to the Field--the apocalyptic cult begun by her strict, religious grandfather in 1931 in which she grew up. She begins each chapter with an instructive recitation of her mother's teachings about healing plants, information that eventually gives her new ways to view the world. Her narration is almost... Read More

Andrew Sellon's pleasing performance makes the authors' conversational writing and fascinating insights a treat to hear. His vocal tone is hushed, which makes him sound like he's unfolding a secret or sharing something startling--a good way to interpret an audiobook that is full of surprising perspectives. Two psychologists unpack the habits of mind and perceptual biases that... Read More

Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton team up for a heartwarming performance of this reluctant romance. Ama, a wedding planner, and Elliot, a florist, broke up some time ago but now have an opportunity to work together again on a celebrity wedding. Dalton portrays Ama as ambitious and thoughtful, while Hamilton's Elliot is antisocial and stubborn--yet he aspires to more in his life.... Read More

Narrating with authority, author Keith Ellison brings his research and life experience to the listener. The Minnesota Attorney General examines the history of police violence and the roles various participants in the U.S. justice system have played in perpetuating or trying to end this historic cycle. Ellison's voice is deep, animated, and appropriately compassionate in... Read More

Listeners will be captivated by this gripping thriller featuring Alex Cross's lifelong friend and crime-solving partner John Sampson, masterfully performed by William Stephens. The plot involves a series of seemingly unconnected domestic terrorist attacks that threaten to destabilize the U.S. government. To identify who is behind them, with the clock ticking, Sampson partners... Read More

Lisa Ling's informative introductions lead in to her storytelling as she delivers delectable food-based tales drawn from Chinese culture. In a conversational tone, Ling describes an iconic dish, offering historical context, etymology, or myth and capturing the warmth of the author toward these foods. She then transitions to tales about dragons, monks, emperors, and other... Read More

This audiobook illuminates the dramatic impact of climate change on our planet. Presented superbly by narrator L.J. Ganser, the audiobook exposes the how and why of global heat and its devastating effects, from wildfires to melting glaciers and other events that are impacting lives around the globe. Ganser delivers an exceptional performance. With a bold delivery, he transforms... Read More

Listeners will be delighted with narrator Hazel Addison's return for the third title in the Mead Mishaps series, recently boosted in popularity by BookTok reviewers. As a child, Cherry didn't understand why princesses trapped in towers had to wait around to be rescued. After being taken by a dragon, she understands a bit more. Planning her escape, she is inadvertently saved by... Read More

Ivanno Jeremiah's impressive performance brings listeners on a thrilling romantic journey. Young James is now the first Black heir to the British throne, but the historic moment is spoiled by rumors of his romantic life in vindictive tabloids. James is faced with the dilemma of becoming the nation's leader while keeping his boyfriend safe from scandal. Jeremiah's narration is... Read More

Despite the passage of six decades, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is still fodder for speculation and, as this audiobook proves, fictionalization. Narrated with deft enthusiasm by Scott Brick, this thriller keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. Highlighting the theory that the President's death was caused by a ninth man whose presence at the scene was... Read More

Narrator Megan Tusing delivers fast-paced excitement in this gripping thriller with two strong female characters. Julia Benet is a mom and a college professor; Ren Petrovic, who is four months pregnant, is a professional assassin with a moral code. After a school shooting occurs on move-in day at the college campus where Julia is helping her daughter, both women set off on a... Read More

What is your relationship with your future self? And how does that impact your decisions in the present? These are some of the intriguing questions that psychologist and professor Hershfield explores in depth and that narrator Sean Pratt delivers with appropriate clarity, gravitas, and occasional humor. Pratt conveys Hershfield's enthusiasm for his topic and keeps listeners... Read More

This unique sci-fi novel has Lisa Cordileone jumping between time frames and alternating realities. She voices the title character, Bridge Kittinger, as both a child and an adult. Bridge swallows a "dreamworm" that launches her into the mystery of her psychedelic past and how it relates to her late mother's cutting-edge neuroscience research. Cordileone's quirky, almost... Read More

This audio account of human-wolf interactions in Washington state describes the ways environmentalists and ranchers work--usually at odds--to achieve their goals. George Newbern narrates this examination of human-wolf interactions in an engaging baritone with a slight staccato intonation. His pacing is easygoing and unhurried, making this work quite easy to follow. His... Read More

Actor and director Andrew McCarthy narrates his latest audiobook with sonority and pitch variety that make listening a treat. His voice is contemplative and his insights humble as he and his son, Sam, try to understand themselves and each other during their 500-mile walk in Spain. Nineteen-year-old Sam, also an actor, performs his pithy comments during the journey with less... Read More

Jonathan Todd Ross is the perfect narrator for Fleming's passionate popular history and travelogue about The Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775 and the author's quest to find out more about this document. In May 1775, a number of pesky Scots-Irish (mostly Presbyterian) men met in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wrote a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. A copy of it... Read More