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

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

This audiobook takes a little-known WWII program and builds a story around it, inspired by the real-life experiences of the author's mother. Irene joins the "Clubmobile" program as a Red Cross volunteer, and listeners follow her through a multitude of harrowing ordeals as she brings coffee, doughnuts, and other treats to soldiers on the front lines in Europe. Barrie Kreinik... Read More

In this revised 10th anniversary edition of Peter Singer's guide to giving thoughtfully to those in need worldwide, a diverse ensemble, including the author himself, take turns enlivening each chapter. Voices ranging from legendary musician Paul Simon's soft Jersey drawl, actress Kristen Bell's upbeat tones, and model/philanthropist Natalia Vodianova's Russian-accented words... Read More

Hearing Rady's sweeping history of the European region including Germany, Poland, Austria, and the Baltics, from antiquity to the present, the listener may sometimes feel lost in a wilderness of names, dates, and places. But John Curless makes following along as easy and pleasant as possible. He exhibits a fine ability to express the sense of the text and has an instantly... Read More

Marisa Calin takes listeners back to England in the late 1800s. Evie Harlow owns a bookshop in London. When she crosses paths with Maximillian, the Duke of Westbourne, he proposes that he turn her into the diamond of the social season in order to win a bet with friends. Calin gives Max a crisp upper-class tone that contrasts clearly with Evie's middle-class speech. Calin... Read More

South African disability rights activist Eddie Ndopu performs his memoir, bringing his story to life with his thoughtful narration. When Ndopu receives a full scholarship to attend Oxford University, he feels equally overwhelmed and elated that all of his hard work and advocacy have paid off. But when he emails the university to discuss the accommodations he needs due to spinal... Read More

Aaron Albano narrates a second-chance romance between former friends who meet after 20 years. Quito Cruz knew Emmett Aoki in high school, before Emmett was a famous movie star. Back then, they were in choir together. Now Quito must convince Emmett to return for a charity concert. Albano makes Quito relatable, capturing his career and relationship frustrations. His roommate,... Read More

Laura Knight Keating captures the youthful timbre and optimistic tone of 12-year-old Avalyn, whose asthma doesn't preclude her passion for language and spelling. A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does. Keating's astute delivery of dialogue gives a strong sense of Avalyn's first romantic... Read More

This heartfelt audiobook about four friends who are seeking revenge is a must-listen. Kasey, smoothly voiced by Mela Lee, returns to her small town for the first time since high school. She's haunted by the truth of her mother's death. Ada, portrayed confidently by Erin Bennett, is now married with kids. Rosemarie, whose upspeak is delivered by Kamali Minter, is balancing an... Read More

Shiromi Arserio is the ideal choice for this touching novel about two 14-year-old girls who attend a boarding school in York, England, in 1805. Arserio vividly conveys the emotional complexities of Eliza Raine, a lonely, wealthy orphan from India, and Anne Lister, an audacious, highly intelligent tomboy. The social outcasts quickly become inseparable, and their friendship... Read More

Jonathan Beville narrates clearly and makes the most of the rare moments of emotion in this audiobook. We need water to keep us alive, grow our food, make our computer chips, flush our toilets, and perform many other vital services. Sadly, as this audiobook makes clear, many parts of the world do not have access to usable water. Peter Gleick's "three ages" refer to the periods... Read More

Chris Harper has his work cut out for him in this chilling audiobook about waste around the globe. His challenge is to keep to a reportorial tone amid the horrifying reports of toxic mountains of garbage. He maintains the right pace and cadence as he recounts the author’s discoveries, which include an island of plastic three times the size of France in the Pacific, corporate... Read More

Juanita McMahon narrates this cautionary tale, which transports listeners to a future in which present-day politics and technology have wreaked havoc on humanity. McMahon imbues each character with a distinctive voice and emotional complexity. Adela is a terminally ill Czech woman who is traveling to New York City to meet Tereza, the daughter she gave up for adoption. Tereza is... Read More

Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies performs this intriguing mystery set during the Victorian era in London. Intrepid PI Charles Field, formerly of the Metropolitan Police, is investigating the murders of several women. The crimes and the clues he uncovers remind him of a series of cases he was involved in the Crimea, when strong-willed, no-nonsense Florence Nightingale and her... Read More

James Langton narrates a gothic tale of dark magic and Victorian glamour. The Carnivale of Curiosities, one of London's most iconic traveling sideshows, is headed by the magical showman Aurelius Ashe. It's said Ashe can make any wish come true, but the veracity of the claim remains a close secret. Langton employs a gravelly timbre that complements the lyrical writing. His... Read More

This genre-bending collection of searingly intimate real-life conversations exemplifies everything that is exciting about audio as a medium. When actor Diane Ladd is diagnosed with lung scarring from pesticide exposure, she's given six months to live and told that exercise is her only chance for improvement. Ladd's daughter, actor Laura Dern, proposes daily walks, with the... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff uses a variety of New England accents to enhance this thriller, which takes place on an island off Maine. Petkoff's controlled, dark narration adds some brine to the unraveling mystery of who killed seven people on a beached ghost ship. Like a set of Russian nesting dolls, the story reveals secrets that beget secrets as Israel Pike, the island outcast,... Read More

Rose Ackroyd narrates this novel about love, loss, and persistence, set during the Soviet invasion of Poland during WWII. When Lena Sadowska's Polish village is invaded by the Soviets, she and her family are banished to a work camp in the barren lands of Siberia. Portraying Lena's persistence through horrible circumstances, Ackroyd provides a mostly straight delivery with only... Read More

Narrating himself, consultant Andy Ellis recommends that business leaders focus on differentiating between what's important and what's not. Making a series of incremental improvements in what's most important, he says, will have a profound cumulative effect. For example, clear, effective communication creates a common language among employees and makes them feel valued, which... Read More

This queer coming-of-age novel is melancholic and reflective, and Emma Love's performance perfectly matches its tone. Just after Natalie arrives at university in Toronto, she's swept into an affair with an older woman. While adjusting to city life, navigating new friendships, and journaling for an intriguing poetry class, she finds herself falling ever more deeply into her... Read More

This lively listening experience about a young woman's journey to piece together her husband's past includes musical interludes, typewriter return clicks, and audience laughter. Twenty-six-year-old aspiring screenwriter Advika's whirlwind romance with Oscar-winning producer Julian, age 72, becomes embittered by red flags that cause Advika increasing concern. And that's before... Read More

Frahm's survey of Assyrian history from its Bronze Age beginnings, through its brief glory period as an empire, to its remnants in modern times is well served by Matthew Lloyd Davies's precise yet fluid narration. Davies's voice is cultured-sounding, clear--with a touch of huskiness--and pleasant. His modulations and emphases bring out the sense of the text, rising and falling... Read More

Narrator Ron Butler sounds surprised by the obscurity of Frank Hursey, who developed QuikClot and a related type of combat gauze. Both products were designed to stop bleeding. Here the author traces their creation and the fight to bring them to market. Butler clearly explains the science behind them and the tangled web of negotiations that followed. He powerfully dramatizes... Read More

On a spaceship operated by artificial intelligence, a special agent, a doctor, a pilot, and a robot come out of cryogenic sleep upon arriving at the edge of the known universe. There they find Earth's first deep-space colony, Paradise-1, surrounded by dead and dying spacecraft. What happened? Laurel Lefkow brings a sophisticated blend of urgency, terror, and good-old-fashioned... Read More

Angelina Rocca's narration--serious but not unfriendly, exhaustive but not exhausting--sets the right tone for this audiobook about the trendsetting women associated with the Rolling Stones. Rocca convincingly conveys the author's premise that Marianne Faithful, Anita Pallenberg, Marsha Hunt, and Bianca Jagger weren't the women "behind" the Rolling Stones; they were... Read More

Combining murder and international intrigue, this audiobook grabs the listener and never lets go. Narrator Christine Lakin's performance is masterful because of her ability to create nuanced voices and accents that add to this thriller's memorable moments and characters. Arman Bajalan, a former Iraqi interpreter, is in hiding in Norfolk, Virginia, after an assassination attempt... Read More

Adjoa Andoh narrates a complex story about identity and belonging set in the Imperial Radch universe. Qven would have become a Presgar translator were it not for a terrible incident that set them careening toward the characters Enae Athur and Reet Hluid, and to the Radch Empire. Andoh expertly navigates the emotional depths of the three main characters, each of whom comes from... Read More

The author's initial commentary on the safety of night travel creates foreboding as David Shih narrates the story of the famous hijacking of a train between Shanghai and Peking in 1923. Shih builds intensity from the first skirmish as bandits fire on the train. His tone softens as he describes swallows that flew through the camp where the hostages, including many Westerners,... Read More

Jess Nahikian's voice sounds assured, comfortable, and clear, but their real achievement is how well their performance connects with this author's thoughtful perspectives and desire to help young people. The audiobook is a calm but persistent plea for people to resist societal messages that we should hustle more and never be satisfied with our accomplishments. Author and... Read More

Frequent collaborators Erin Mallon and Joe Arden combine their skills in a contemporary romance featuring a self-professed crazy cat lady and an uptight sports statistician. When Miles Thorn hires Kitty Hart to watch his mother's cat, he doesn't expect to fall for the quirky "kitty whisperer." As the two spend more time together, their attraction grows. Both prolific narrators,... Read More

This audiobook is nothing short of outstanding, thanks in part to the incredible performance of narrator Dami Olukoya, which takes it to the next level. At first, the story seems overly steeped in unnecessarily complicated science, but listeners who soldier through that will engage with whole new worlds and dimensions. A scientist on our dying Earth discovers a gateway to... Read More

Kevin Stillwell narrates this overdue biographical history like a reporter pursuing the story of a lifetime. His voice informs, his tone reveals, his style illuminates, and his cadence moves the intense action forward. For this is the riveting story of the 1975 Senate Committee that unearthed the multiple crimes and misdeeds of our nation's secret agencies, which ranged from... Read More

This audiobook highlights the efforts of Black professional basketball players of the 1970s, including Connie Hawkins, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Spencer Haywood, to pave the way for the improved working conditions of today's stars. The audiobook details the challenges and sacrifices that these and other players made to create the freedom current players have to negotiate large... Read More

Gayle's story alternates between "Then," when her mother's sudden death upended Jess's life, and "Now," as she tackles the emotional task of emptying her mother's home. Witney White gives Jess a British accent while voicing her grief as she struggles to find a home for possessions too precious to toss. Frustration comes through as Jess begins to re-evaluate her choices and... Read More

Georgina Sutton demonstrates the enviable, hard-to-define narrator's ability to fully deliver the author's intentions in this engaging examination of St. Augustine (354-430 CE) and the four women in his life. Through her intelligent, easy command of the sense of the text, expressed through intonation and emphasis, she brings understanding and sympathy to Cooper's discussion of... Read More

Kwame Alexander, poet and narrator of several of his own books, brings poignancy to his “snapshots of a man learning to love. Again.” His memoir is a savory-sweet mix of poems, letters, and recipes. Regardless of form, they are shot through with a poet’s rhythms, sensory memories, moving moments of learning, and unique experiences that strike a universal chord. Candidly,... Read More

For political junkies, this account of corruption from the 1920s is a tour de force made all the more enjoyable by the able narration of David Lawrence. The audiobook tells the story of the fall of Attorney General Harry Daugherty and the rise of J. Edgar Hoover. The author's straightforward style translates well to audio, and Lawrence's steady voice carries the text along... Read More

As Joe R. Lansdale portrays ex-private eye Charlie Garner, he gives the role a Mike Hammer flavor with a Texas twang. The appearance--and disappearance--of Garner's ex-wife sends him on the trail of a cult that is linked to donut shops. He gets help from his brother, Felix, voiced in a chiding tone by Greg Littlefield; a writer nicknamed Scrappy, voiced with a gung-ho attitude... Read More

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Keller examines the cultural aversion to quitting, concluding that despite its bad reputation, quitting pursuits that aren't working is actually a valid survival strategy. Hillary Huber's straightforward, clear narration is a natural fit for this manifesto on reassessing one's values and goals. She describes the feeling of self-loathing... Read More

Narrator Caitlin Davies excels as the irascible Herbert Atlas, an octogenarian who is on a road trip through South Florida. His getaway--for the purpose of avoiding being placed in a home--triggers a Silver Alert. He is accompanied by 20-something Dee Dee Mullins, who is also on the lam. The recovering addict, former sex worker, and abuse victim wants to see the princesses at... Read More

A struggling musician's rollicking adventure across the Pond is made all the more vibrant, thanks to the dynamic dual narration of Susanna Hoffs and Juliet Stevenson. Hoffs takes on the role of Jane Start, a one-hit wonder no one remembers. Hoffs's expressive tone evokes Jane's messy and chaotic life as she jets off to London, where she unexpectedly meets the love of her life.... Read More

Erin Bennett shines in this story of loss, friendship, forgiveness, and love. Hollis Shaw grew up on Nantucket but built a life away from the island after college. From the outside, her life appears perfect as the creator of "Hungry with Hollis." But after the untimely death of her husband, Hollis must rebuild, so she hosts a "Five Star Weekend" with four friends from... Read More

In this debut fantasy, the first installment of the Burnished City trilogy, Kirsten Foster has a broad cast of characters to bring to life. Using a variety of accents, she distinguishes characters and their classes in a highly stratified society. The main character, Siyon, yearns to be an alchemist, but he's reaching far above his station. So, using his natural talent, he... Read More

This audiobook evokes both disbelief and dismay. It recounts true stories of hucksters and how they came to believe that only they knew the one way to cure medical conditions that science--with all of its research, testing, and proven methods--couldn't. Jamie Renell does a superb job of walking a fine line between incredulity and shock as he shares stories of mostly... Read More

In alternating chapters, narrators André Santana and Stacy Gonzalez depict the lives of two Mexican American teens, Danna and Raul, who find first love amid family struggles. The production offers a fascinating variation in point of view: Periodically one narrator slips effortlessly and dynamically into the narration of the other. Santana depicts Raul's sadness and worry after... Read More

Narrator Quyen Ngo, who also voiced bestselling author Nguyen's debut, THE MOUNTAINS SING, captivates listeners with this thought-provoking historical novel. The fictionalized account, drawn from the author's dissertation research, explores the often overlooked lives of Amerasians in Vietnam, children conceived during the Vietnam War between American GIs and Vietnamese women.... Read More

Soneela Nankani gives a magnificent performance of this lively and heartwarming second-chance romance. Jana, a South Asian Canadian single mother of 4-year-old Imani, has been cautious with dating since her brief fling with Imani's father, Anil. Then, Jana, Anil, and Imani are invited to their close friends, Kamila and Rohan's, two-week destination wedding in Tanzania.... Read More

This audiobook, a romance at its core, is about the interwoven relationships among three couples. It also recounts a basketball star's challenges on and off the court and his relationship with his girlfriend, who helps produce K-dramas--dramatic shows with structured plots in South Korea. The narrating tag team of Jee Young Han and Tommy Kang do a marvelous job with the voices.... Read More

Patrick Moy brings a light Irish brogue to Sean Connolly's account of Irish immigrants' presence and progress around the world. Listeners might know the role Irish immigrants have played in American culture, even if they don't know that GONE WITH THE WIND and the comic strip BRINGING UP FATHER drew on the immigrant experience. However, American listeners might not think about... Read More

Clint Smith's poems are deep, resonant, and well crafted. He delivers them with a clear understanding of their meaning and how to bring that meaning to listeners. His works explore various aspects of fatherhood from experiencing the early stages of a first pregnancy to managing two toddlers. Some of the experiences Smith chronicles are specific to Black families, but many are... Read More

Andrew Eiden channels travel reporter Brad Wetzler's personal journey through a traumatic youth, drug addiction, and healing. Appropriately, much of Wetzler's account takes place while he is traveling the world. Eiden maintains a calm tone and masculine timbre throughout this memoir as he captures the author's humor and heartache during some of his most vulnerable and teachable... Read More

Kate Fagan narrates her newest audiobook, this one on the pop culture and history of women's basketball. From the perspective of a player in 2072, Fagan takes listeners from the invention of basketball in 1891 through the trials and triumphs of women playing the game. Stories of fans scrambling over walls to witness women in action and quirky teams with henna-dyed hair fill... Read More

Andriopoulos, professor of entrepreneurship at Bayes Business School, London, encourages listeners to dig deeper to ignite their curiosity and spark innovation. Narrator Michael Chance delivers his manifesto in an appropriate tone with the right pace and range of emotion to inspire listeners to explore their own curiosity about curiosity. Andriopoulos recognizes that he is... Read More

Listening to Kyla Garcia and Zachary Webber portray Dr. Briana Ortiz and Dr. Jacob Maddox in this audio romance is an opportunity to disappear into other lives for a while. Both Briana and Jacob have storylines that grab the listener in an emotional way. Briana is reeling from a nasty divorce and coping with her brother's kidney failure; Jacob is battling severe social anxiety.... Read More

Mara Wilson's engaging, lyrical voice is a suitable match for Jennifer Wright's biography. In pre-Gilded Age New York City, Madame Restell was a healer and chemist who created and provided reliable birth control and abortion solutions for women who needed help. Wilson deftly navigates the serious medical information and evokes empathy for women who need to end pregnancy for a... Read More