Diontae Black and Griswold Addams narrate the second Moonlighters novella, a queer romance. Kai was the last person Aiden expected to see at karaoke night as he's waiting for his best friend to arrive. Neither did he expect that bad weather would keep his friend from showing up. As Kai and Aiden spend the evening together, they discover their long-held impressions of each other... Read More

Vanessa Johansson adds a youthful, energetic tone to this backstage melodrama. Dance moms and close friends Ever, Josie, and Lindsay-- who are the mothers of Bea, Savvy, and Olive--deal with critical personal issues, but each is always ready to do whatever's necessary to advance her ballet-dancing daughter. Johansson believably handles the heated competition to win choice roles... Read More

Michael Langan's narration infuses curiosity and delight into this memoir and guidebook on sustainability. The authors moved into a 1930s lodge when Peter accepted work as a forester in northwestern Germany. Langan's gentle, uplifting tone captures their enthusiastic but not fanatical attitude during their quest for self-sustainability and small-scale farming. Through his... Read More

Paul Bellantoni impeccably presents a small village and its superstitious inhabitants in this look at WWII from an Italian perspective. Listeners join Ezio, who's dedicated to his job as a policeman despite needing a cane. Bellantoni conveys life as Mussolini's Fascists and the Nazis terrify everyone. When Ezio arrests a longtime Jewish resident, his conscience requires him to... Read More

Carmen Rose narrates this sapphic horror/romance with a sardonic wit that makes for an immersive listening experience. Shesheshen is a shape-shifting monster who, weary of devouring an endless line of hunters seeking to eradicate her kind, constructs a makeshift human body and infiltrates the human world. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Homily, a human woman who is... Read More

Deepa Samuel reads crisply and does well with the various languages in this globe-spanning audiobook. Her carefully articulated style makes this history/memoir with travel stories vivid. The author, a Muslim Indian woman now living in Brooklyn, brings a unique point of view to this "irreverent history of travel." As a woman of color, she has experienced what she describes as... Read More

This audiobook is a paean to birds. It's almost poetry, and author Jack Gedney's lyrical style is exactly suited to listening, perhaps even more so than reading. The text is peppered with images like this, referring to Golden-crowned Sparrows: "Their crowns shine in the fading afternoon light." Narrator Jonathan Todd Ross captures the author's style; Ross's smooth voice and... Read More

Narrator Abigail Reno creates an energetic voice for 8-year-old genius Angeline, who despite her young age is entering the sixth grade. Her new teacher, Mrs. Hardlick, gives her a hard time, and she struggles to fit in with her classmates. Her only respite from class is her friendship with fifth-grader Gary and his teacher, Miss Turbone. Reno captures Angeline's frustration and... Read More

Jason Grasl performs Ned Blackhawk's National Book Award-winning history of the Native peoples of what is now known as the United States. From contact with early conquistadors of New Spain to the Indigenous activists of the mid-twentieth century, this sweeping work illuminates the histories of Indigenous peoples. Grasl's performance maintains the listener's attention through... Read More

Mao Zedong's ten-year Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) forever changed Chinese society and family structure. With a deliberate, evenhanded delivery, Asian American narrator Rebecca Lam traces the origins and repercussions of the attempt to purge bourgeois and capitalistic thoughts and tendencies from hundreds of millions of Chinese minds. A million people died, millions more... Read More

Rosemary Benson's clear, melodic narration aids the listener in following the myriad threads that Emily Monosson weaves in this fascinating audiobook on fungi. Some fungi are good. But there is also a parade of horribles--such as the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, which is decimating bat populations; rusts that have already pushed some chestnut trees into extinction;... Read More

After personally struggling with anxiety over uncertainties in her life, business consultant and life coach Allison Carmen offers a short but precise discussion of how to face challenging times with positivity. Exuding a comfortable air and a feminine persona, narrator Kim Niemi delivers the author's mindset on the importance of being present and recognizing that what is... Read More

Allie Rose's light, genteel performance is just right for the fourth novel in Cara Devlin's Bow Street Duchess series. Once again, Lady Audrey and Bow Street runner Hugh Marsden must solve a baffling puzzle. When his half-sister, Eloisa, is brutally murdered during a ball, Hugh becomes the prime suspect. Meeting in secret, Hugh and Audrey set out to prove his innocence and to... Read More

Avery Kidd Waddell delivers a commanding narration. He confidently conveys the scope of this new edition of one of the most influential audiobooks on the history of race, which dismantles the myth of a post-racial society. Kendi's work investigates the histories of six historical figures, including Thomas Jefferson, W.E.B Du Bois, and Angela Davis. Their actions, writings, and... Read More

For any nature lover, this audiobook is nearly irresistible. Bjorgaas, a biologist, takes a close look at the ways insects, birds, mammals, trees, and plants adapt to life in the more densely populated human environs. The anecdotes are vividly written and fascinating, albeit somewhat awkwardly organized. Mary Helen Gallucci is an earnest narrator who does a fine job with pace,... Read More

Eli Grober narrates his collection of dystopian satires with deadpan self-assurance. It's the ideal voice for the 100 essays--none longer than eight minutes--with titles such as "'I'm Only Joking,' I Say As I Kill You" and "How I Saved Enough To Buy a House With My Parents' Money." One of Grober's more sincere readings can be heard in "The Telescope We Sent to Deep Space Wants... Read More

Kim Bretton infuses Rebecca May Johnson's food memoir with a quiet but breathless energy that makes it feel almost like a page-turner. Johnson spent more than 10 years cooking the same recipe for a simple tomato sauce hundreds of times. In this memoir, she investigates how we think about recipes, combining food writing, literary criticism, feminist scholarship, and social... Read More

David de Vries narrates the autobiography of Ludwig Bemelmans, known best as the creator of the beloved Madeline children's books and for his distinct style of illustrations. The audiobook includes the author's observations and activities in Hollywood during the 1950s, with a particular focus on his friendship with the glamorous late-in-life "First Lady of Interior Decoration,"... Read More

Noah James Butler guides listeners through what scientists know about life's origins and what remains a puzzle with excitement and a well-placed sense of awe. He narrates clearly at a steady pace, allowing those who may be unfamiliar with medical terminology time to absorb researcher Ben Stanger's findings. This pairs well with Stanger's accessible, energetic writing style. The... Read More

Peter Noble's English accent gives an authoritative quality to this history of the Soviet Union in the decade-and-a-half from Stalin's death in 1953 to the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Hornsby describes the great upheavals of the "thaw" that happened after Stalin's death and the Soviet feats in the space race. He also describes how the life of the common citizen changed... Read More

Magic, mystery, and history meet when the old-fashioned spectacles Winna's grandfather gives her grant wishes. Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt depicts Winna's youth with a bright voice. Her slightly hesitant delivery is central to Winna's tone of intelligence tempered by having to be polite to a world of fools. Winna has enough worries with her mom being sick in the hospital and... Read More

With a youthful delivery, narrator Lu Banks depicts the anger and confusion of a 12-year-old girl who is traumatized by the loss of her beloved brother in an apparent drowning near their favorite fishing spot. In the wake of the tragedy, their mother, an ornithologist, goes in and out of mental institutions. Then, the girl is left to her own devices when her father is convicted... Read More

Tiffany Morgan narrates this novel set during the Civil War in rural North Carolina. Fifteen-year-old Henry McBride steals off to enlist, and his mother, Joetta, sends his father, Ennis, off to bring him home. Joetta's refusal to support either side makes her a target in her community, especially after she performs a daring act of kindness. Morgan's measured cadence brings the... Read More

Listeners will enjoy this deliciously twisted tale dynamically narrated by the author. Lozada-Oliva explores intergenerational trauma as three generations of women find themselves caught up in a zombie apocalypse. Elderly Guatemalan immigrant Candelaria kills her octogenarian boyfriend. Surrounded by chaos in Boston, she desperately and inexplicably tries to get to the Old... Read More

Shawn K. Jain and Deepa Samuel are dual narrators of this rom-com with a woman in a hijab at the center. They trade between them the chapters that make up this humorous, charming contemporary novel of manners. Sana Saeed must find a suitor that pleases her mother or lose the chance to be her younger autistic brother's guardian. With the seemingly hopeless search losing steam,... Read More

Sophia Thakur narrates her collection of poems exploring aspects of womanhood, joined by Nalini Thakur for some individual pieces. Author Thakur's voice is whispery, slow, insistent--demanding listeners' attention. They should give it, for each poem stands on its own, offering occasional internal rhymes and often startling figurative language. They provide glimpses of hearts... Read More

Gabrielle Baker's posh London accent adds a classy touch to this intriguing study of financial devolution. As defined by the author, tokens are "things that are almost but not quite money." For example, ancient Mesopotamia's clay tokens signified a share in the grain harvest. In modern times, tokens include phone cards, discount coupons, frequent-flier miles, pre-loaded EBT... Read More

Structural engineer Roma Agrawal cheerfully tells listeners that she was the type of kid who snapped crayons to see their insides. Narrating in an accent that blends India and Britain, she good-humoredly shows listeners she still is that kid. Her joviality and personal touches make her stories of important inventions relatable. She slips in puns and jokes, and makes light of... Read More

Close your eyes (unless you're driving) and enter a dystopian world of Banshee warriors who are fighting an oppressive patriarchy in this beautifully narrated new novel, a sequel to LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE. At first, the listener may be a little overwhelmed by the complex plot; however, Esther Wane's lilting Irish accents invite them to persevere. Orpen is a strong protagonist who... Read More

Renowned VILLAGE VOICE dance critic Deborah Jowitt has written an informative biography of the legendary modern dance choreographer, performer, and teacher Martha Graham. Erin Bennett delivers a sophisticated yet relaxed performance of the text. Three cheers for an enchanting effort so well matched to the book at hand. Bennett's tone and intonation are solid--in all respects... Read More

Successfully conveying teenage angst, David Lee Huynh infuses his performance with longing and youthful doubt as he delivers the story of Gary Võ. Gary and his best friend would do anything to be popular in high school. Then the notorious "Rooster Club" learns that Gary has befriended the most beautiful girl in school, Gloria. They challenge Gary to steal something from Gloria... Read More

This first-person recollection of a love affair, first published in 1930, is given a splendid narration by Derek Perkins. The title refers to the main character's responses to his love interest's seeming lack of transparency. The author, born Nikolai Freudenstein in Saint Petersburg, was a well-known writer of the Russian diaspora in Paris after the Russian Revolution. He died... Read More

Through this audiobook, listeners will come to see Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis as a living bridge from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to President Barack Obama. The force behind the concept of "good trouble," Lewis was inspired to become a minister and to join the Civil Rights movement after hearing King preach over the radio. Lewis was just a boy at the time. His life,... Read More

Kohn's history of the "old town" sections of some German, Baltic, and Eastern European cities calls for the kind of careful and intelligent performance that Philip Battley delivers. Not a travelogue, but rather a general, architectural, and political history, Kohn's book is detailed, fact heavy, and sometimes dry. Battley's British-accented voice is not immediately striking but... Read More

Grover Gardner imbues this exploration of a charming section of rural New Jersey, first published in 1968, with a knowledgeable and authoritative tone. The celebrated and groundbreaking NEW YORKER reporter John McPhee runs into several colorful characters, now long gone, during his visit. This look back at a simpler, more rural time both entertains and informs. Gardner's even... Read More

Nicky Endres delivers this urban fantasy, making it sound like they are speaking directly to the listener. Magic has been monetized--with strict legal requirements and the call-center corporation One Wizard filtering all magical requests. Journeyman Wen is burned out from fielding angry customer calls and appeasing senior mages. But when a frantic call from a young man who is... Read More

Jon Vertullo narrates this ecological warning with an even tone and a deliberate pace. His thoughtful delivery allows the detailed and meticulous reporting to speak for itself, that is, without excessive drama. His task is made easier by author Miller's crisply written journalistic reports from three sites: northeast Japan, where in 2011 seawalls were no match for a massive... Read More

Leon Nixon narrates this novella like it's the latest news from a friend who just experienced something eerie and revelatory. The story features a man named Martin, aka Temple, who himself is the cure for a deadly virus. Nixon's pace and tone are engaging as he believably embodies characters who are rivals. However, he sounds slightly odd when he narrates the sultry voice of... Read More

Listeners will be curious to compare the historic 1932 election year with our own--though the issues and the candidates were very different. Franklin Roosevelt, the patrician New York governor, roundly defeated Herbert Hoover, a competent technocrat who was oddly out of touch with his constituents. David Stifel brings both men and their era to life with the authoritative... Read More

Allyson Voller introduces listeners to Robert Archambeau's colorful portrait of Jazz Age Paris, including Gertrude Stein's famous salons. When Ida Caine, an American would-be artist, meets Stein and her partner, Alice, and many other period luminaries, including T.S. Eliot, André Breton, and Ernest Hemingway, she is awestruck. But when her husband disappears and Alice goes... Read More

Rattlesnakes are just one of the creatures science writer-turned-academic Robles ponders as she blends her own perspectives and historical writings into this audiobook of essays on the human study of various species, such as coral and sharks. Narrator Daniela Acitelli brings a sense of wonder to a Native American story about the rattlesnake world. Her pace increases with... Read More

Adam Goodheart shares his experiences visiting "the most isolated people in the world" on North Sentinel, in the Andaman Islands in India's Bay of Bengal. In this audiobook he shares accounts of their history. Will Tulin calmly narrates Goodheart's first visit, leaving room for amazement at flying fish and dolphins. Tulin reflects Goodheart's lament over the plastic trash that... Read More

In stately British tones, Rachael Beresford presents this novella fictionalizing the life of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, a fanatical and virulently anti-Semitic Dominican friar who lived in Florence at the end of the fifteenth century. Beresford's crisp recitation seeps through the life, actions, sermons, and ultimately forced confession of Savonarola at the Inquisition trial that... Read More

Four men, four environmental philosophies, three wilderness settings. From these various and, at times, competing perspectives, author John McPhee weaves a deep debate over how to best protect the future of the planet and humanity. Grover Gardner's clear, conversational narration makes these sometimes complex discussions easy for listeners to follow. There's no false drama, but... Read More

Aven Shore does it again, this time offering a deft, versatile, immersive performance of a genre-bending queer sci-fi Western. The Stranger's ship crashes on a cold and broken Earth; thus begins her long journey to reunite with her love. Each chapter puts another obstacle in her path--a train car murder mystery, a quest to deliver a drug-toting tortoise, a run-in with a... Read More

In this sweet and sexy queer romance, Sam, a history professor, and fat-positive Lily, an amateur seamstress, meet at their favorite karaoke bar. Aven Shore and Yvonne Roberts perform from Sam's and Lily's perspectives. Their empathetic performances embrace the insecurities that follow their first exhilarating evening together. Sam's vulnerability about their nonbinary gender... Read More

Midnite Michael's achievement is capturing the spirit of a classic Western while at the same time giving this biographical novel a contemporary feel. Thompson tells the story of Bass Reeves. Born enslaved just before the Civil War, Reeves grew to become a celebrated U.S. marshal. Reeves, an expert marksman from a young age, was forced to endure abuse by his enslaver as he took... Read More

Hannah Curtis's delightfully dry voice narrates this academic-sounding audiobook. Chapters flit through time and topics to cover various Dickensian literary landmarks in and around London, using many primary sources, including century-old tourism guides. Jackson discusses the history of Victorian literary tourism, the challenges of authenticating sites, and the reasons for... Read More

A great opportunity to explore the development of the iconic entertainer Ella Fitzgerald is thwarted here. While there's little new information, author Judith Tick succeeds in compiling an exhaustive compendium of facts. Sadly, Carmen Jewel Jones is not up to the task of delivering it. Her performance is peppered with mispronunciations, and nearly every foreign name or phrase... Read More

With a talent for distinct voices, Erin deWard delivers this decades-old science fiction novel, now on audio. Psychologist Joanna Lander teams up with neurologist Richard Wright to determine the nature of near-death experiences and their role in survival. Lander's first simulated experience feels strange but familiar, and she's determined to repeat it until she can figure out... Read More

Patricia Shade gives an engaging performance of this debut novel set in a small town in northern Maine. Shade moves easily through a variety of points of view--the book feels more like a collection of interconnected stories than a novel--but she keeps her tone even throughout, giving the story some cohesion. Her lively narration is welcome as the book itself sometimes drags,... Read More

Jonathan Yen puts enthusiasm into his narration as he guides listeners through Haynes's history of Southern barbecue, with its distinct combination of African American, Native American, and European influences. Barbecues were once an important part of politics, as they gave candidates an opportunity to address crowds. Yen keeps his delivery straightforward, with a few detours.... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice narrator Grover Gardner comfortably inhabits McPhee's curious mind and captures the eloquence of his prose in this splendid rendition of his short classic. The audiobook brings together the supreme storyteller and the exceptional story performer. Gardner's singular voice and intelligent style were made to deliver McPhee--his voicing of the author's TABULA... Read More

Audiobook 2 of The Desert Magician's Duology continues the explosive Afrofuturistic story with the return of the powerful rainmaker Dikéogu and the shadow speaker Ejii. The geographical details set the story in a dystopian West Africa. Actor and producer Délé Ogundiran narrates this first-person story of the rainmaker, set in the year 2077. The steady, carefully enunciated... Read More

On February 17-18, 1952, a blizzard occurred in New England that dropped 30 inches of snow into the state of Maine, then blew it into 20-foot-high drifts. Narrator Morgan Bailey Keaton gives listeners a bird's-eye view of the effect this deluge had on the lives of many different people before the dawn of sophisticated weather equipment. Keaton gives an outstanding performance... Read More

In calm, reflective tones, Monique Gray Smith shares botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer's insights as an Indigenous scientist, highlighting how all living things--from strawberries to witch hazel to lichen--offer everyday gifts and lessons and connections. This adaptation for young adults of Kimmerer's bestselling book illuminates how deep ecological understanding can arise from... Read More

The audio biography of the founder of the popular Japanese restaurant chain Benihana, Rocky Aoki, needs no narrative embellishment--his life is thrilling enough on its own. This makes David Lee Huynh's straightforward, accent-free narration a perfect match for detailing Aoki's rise to fame and fortune as one of America's most successful entrepreneurs. Aoki didn't stop with... Read More

Narrator Moniqua Plante's clear voice and steady cadence enhance this fascinating examination of tennis legend Alice Marble. Between 1936 and 1940, Marble won 18 Grand Slam championships--even though she'd gained notoriety as a baseball player as a child. Encouraged to play a "lady's game," Marble became known for her pioneering style in power tennis and later coached Billie... Read More

Narrator Amir Abdullah is completely and blithely "Not Sidney Poitier" in this paradoxical pretzel of an audio. Not Sidney's mother died when he was 11, leaving him with his nonsensical name and a fortune in Turner Broadcasting System stock. Abdullah illuminates his struggles as he grows to manhood with a flexible and highly stylized performance. As Not Sidney faces episodes of... Read More

In this moving memoir, Kerri ní Dochartaigh's Irish accent highlights the setting, her isolated cottage and its wild surroundings in the heart of Ireland. Her phrasing emphasizes the rhythms of her words, and lyricism adds to the year-long collection of poems, essays, and diary excerpts. Her observations mark transitions from the lonely isolation of winter to the blossoming of... Read More

Diana Blue's vocal character is wonderful. Her positive tone provides an uplifting counterpoint to the topic of activism in the face of social injustice, environmental disasters, and other societal malfunctions. She helps the positive aspect of this guide to stay visible: the authors' belief that caring for others is a noble pursuit that has its rewards, as well as its... Read More

Ann Richardson sounds natural and relaxed as she delivers myriad Danish place names and words as Dorthe Nors ventures up and down the coast of Denmark. But this isn't a warm travel memoir. It's windy and cold and tinged with menace and risk. Nors visits church frescoes, isolated lighthouses, bonfires with burning witches' effigies, shipwrecks, and chemical plants--there is no... Read More

Robert Mac Minshew gives a fun, upbeat performance of this queer cozy mystery set in Salt Lake City. Ben has left his job in academia to help run his dad's board game shop back home in Utah. When a local game collector is found dead outside the shop, Ben becomes an immediate suspect. Desperate to clear his name, he teams up with the cute florist next door to solve the mystery.... Read More

Karen Cass's mellow voice and brisk cadence enliven the background, travels, and experiences of the wife of a prosperous man of industry in Victorian England. Fashion historian and museum curator Kate Strasdin unfolds the captivating life of Mrs. Anne Sykes, which is told through pieces of fabric from various items of her clothing, which she kept in an annotated scrapbook.... Read More

In this audiobook, Evie Sage is navigating financial challenges and takes on the role of assistant to a notorious villain, diligently managing office tasks and supporting his exploits. As her attraction to her mysterious boss deepens, the twisty plot unfolds, weaving a tapestry of intrigue and suspense. The emergence of a mysterious saboteur threatens the villain's empire,... Read More

David de Vries has a fine time delivering this comic tribute to life in a 1920s New York luxury hotel. He narrates in a rich tone and lively style that fits this satire of the opulent life of the Hotel Splendide, a slightly fictionalized version of the Ritz, where Bemelmans worked as a waiter. He ably does the necessary French and German accents and captures the demimonde of... Read More

Christopher Brown uses the voice of a confidant for this cornucopia of pleasures--literary and gustatory. He immerses listeners in the world of protean NEW YORK TIMES book critic Dwight Garner. For a text crammed with words, quotes, and anecdotes about food and literature, Brown takes on a conversational style and uses occasional slight accents to identify the countries of... Read More

Courtney Patterson brings mid-century North Carolina to life with her narration of this coming-of-age story. Mattie Lee Watson, age 15, is living an ordinary life when salesman James T. Cullowee pulls into town. Patterson brings the innocence and passion of a teenager's crush to fruition as Mattie strives to gain his attention. When Cullowee organizes a kudzu festival, Mattie... Read More

Christine Rendel brings her delightful British voice to this biography of the artist Camille Pissarro (1830-1903). Known as "the father of Impressionism," Pissarro was born into a Jewish family on St. Thomas but settled in Paris for his career. While associating closely with the innovative painters of the time, including Monet, Degas, Cassatt, and Cézanne, Pissarro remained an... Read More

Narrators CJ Bloom and Teddy Hamilton bring to life two talented college hockey players in this new contemporary romance. Gigi Graham has big dreams of making the women's national hockey team and stepping out of her famous hockey-playing father's shadow. She makes a deal with grumpy but extremely hot Luke Ryder to help her improve her game. In return, she promises to help him... Read More

Zac Aleman begins Perez's memoir tenderly as the author gazes at the house on G street that was his father's Cuban home. It's a formerly elegant building now moving toward ruin, a house that represents his past and that of many Cubans. So begins this ambitious memoir, which merges the personal and the political as it ranges from nineteenth-century Castilian Spain to... Read More

Carrie Coello's narration warmly welcomes listeners into the world of 12-year-old Dory Byrnes, adding additional appeal to her personality. Dory's mother is dead; her Pop is fighting in WWII. Fisher, her 17-year-old brother, is a loving guardian of Dory and their brilliant younger brother, Pike. Coello makes clear Fisher's frustrations at Dory's headstrong individualism and... Read More

Howarth's detailed account of the first decades of the British East India Company makes for a daunting listen. The text, while deeply learned, is often hard to follow as it jumps around in history and, while snappily written, is show-offy, laden with obscure allusions, and more interested in cleverness than clarity. Michael Page's throaty voice takes getting used to, but his... Read More

Narrator David Stifel brings a rich, expressive voice to the task of narrating this entertaining audiobook about plants, their importance, and their roles in specific events and periods in history. Topics range from the popularity of liberty trees in France to--with a stop at banana peels--a clue to the kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby. Stifel performs with... Read More

Narrator Nigel Patterson brings elegance, precision, and a fine sense of pacing to a narrative that spans 11 centuries, and is so packed with events and memorable figures that the Hundred Years War and the life of Joan of Arc comprise only one episode. What a richly detailed, thoroughly engrossing narrative this is, spacious enough to include a half-hour description of a... Read More

Angela Juarez's delivery is fully engaging, and by the end of this important and timely audiobook--devastating. Seamlessly switching between Spanish and English, she captures the lives of people caught in a broken immigration system. For many Americans, the U.S.-Mexico border remains an abstract concept, a mere "issue" that is easy to frame for political purposes. But Oliva's... Read More

Narrator Kaipo Schwab brings a bright, naturalistic delivery to this collection of decidedly academic essays that re-examine the first and continued contact between Native peoples and the Europeans who arrived to "conquer" the Americas. The eye-opening contention is that after 1492, one group did not simply replace the other; instead Indigenous peoples used politics, labor... Read More

Raquel Beattie's enchanting narration elevates this fantastical misadventure featuring the Mandolinis--a family of magical artists. Chaos abounds after 11-year-old Rosa Mandolini accidentally unleashes a vengeful little monster that could destroy her family's legacy. Beattie's voice perfectly emulates Rosa's youthful spirit as she conspires with Payne, a talking crow, to... Read More

As Bethan Jones's study of the eerie "X-Files" world begins, Daniela Acitelli quickly rattles off a list of the memorabilia in Jones's office. The audiobook returns to it at the end, focusing on a Scully and Mulder cardboard standup and a wry mention of the attention it receives in Jones's Zoom meetings. Acitelli keeps up a fast pace as she narrates a series history that... Read More

Délé Ogundiran's immersive performance of this Niger-set fantasy captures both the nostalgia of coming of age and the awe of otherworldly exploration. Ejii Ugabe is equally horrified and enthralled when the Red Queen Jaa beheads the village chief--who is Ejii's father--in front of her. Freed from the patriarchal confines of her father's dictatorship, Ejii embarks on a quest to... Read More

Zuzu Robinson narrates this novel of family, trauma, and forgiveness. Sara Lancaster never wanted to return to her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. She especially did not want to bring back her daughter, Alana, whose birth was the result of a sexual assault that nearly broke Sara's spirit. But when circumstances demand her return, Sara seeks to forge a new path forward. Robinson... Read More

Peter Noble's British accent sounds appropriately scholarly as he gives voice to the author's attempts to simplify some of the biggest ideas in science. Marcus Chown has set himself a difficult task: to explain in laypersons' terms such phenomena as black holes, relativity, quantum computing, and the Higgs boson, each in about 20 minutes. You can strip out the equations, but... Read More

"Growing older is more expansive than the world would have us believe," says Houston attorney, author, and Trinidad native Karen Walrond in this refreshing audiobook about reclaiming your life. In a clear timbre and lower register, she delivers inspiring stories about aging with the timing and resonance of an assured voice pro. Much of the narrative is about stereotypes of old... Read More

Intriguingly, this audiobook charts not the events leading to the American Revolution, but the concepts of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that culminated in the Declaration of Independence. Golden Voice narrator John Lee is a familiar and reliable guide to the era when Britain and the American colonies were still one. Their relationship was characterized by easy... Read More

Greg Marshall taps into the joy, pain, and bizarre family habits that shaped who he's become in this memoir about growing up with cerebral palsy. Unabashedly exploring his sexuality and relationships, Marshall shows how the limp he developed as a child influenced his life, including his clunky stint as a young stage actor, the complexity of dealing with parents who lied about... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns to a world made up of humans, Psys, and changelings. Psy Theodora Marshall teams up with bear changeling Yakov Stepyrev to investigate an abandoned center that was used to rehabilitate Psys. Theodora's grandfather was evil, and Dawe reveals all the darkness of his personality. Theodora was tortured by him, and as she struggles to cope with her past,... Read More

George Gilder, now in his mid-80s, has been an influential figure in right-wing politics and economics for more than 40 years--so he's hardly a fresh voice in either the literal or figurative sense. His latest work, however, gets a major shot of vitality from Eric Michael Summerer's narration. The energy and sonority in Summerer's voice soften the edges of Gilder's screed on... Read More

With an upbeat delivery, Elizabeth Wiley narrates this fascinating, thoroughly researched, and long overdue celebration of the brave, resourceful women who first joined the New York Police Department in the early 1920s. Particular focus is given to the life and career of Mary "Mae" Foley, who grew up in Manhattan's old Gas House District and became one of the NYPD's first... Read More

Bill Andrew Quinn portrays this audiobook's protagonist in a halting style that fits an academic. His deliberate cadence pushes the action forward as the characters' lives unspool. The first-person narrator, Zach Wells, a geologist, is a man who shares chess moves and scientific data but has trouble with his feelings. His life is fraught, to say the least: His father committed... Read More

Gabriel Vaughan presents Prendergast's detailed account of the vice that accompanied the growing pains of a burgeoning Denver, Colorado, at the beginning of the twentieth century. A young district attorney, Philip Van Cise, emerges as the crime fighter of the day. Vaughan narrates with consistency; his steady voice guides the historic narrative of Van Cise as he stamps out a... Read More

Author Keggie Carew asks listeners to reconsider how they relate to animals, starting out with anecdotes that fascinate and shifting to opinions she herself characterizes as strong. Pippa Haywood narrates with her British accent, switching briefly to an Eastern European one to tell the story of a mischievous raven and later taking on the voice of Pigeon Pete, a bird trainer.... Read More

An ensemble cast brings listeners to Zora Neale Hurston Airport, where bad weather grounds four preteens who are traveling home with their families from the Muslims of North America conference. Animal lover Hanna, aspiring poet Feek, NokNok influencer Nora, and martial artist Sami take turns recounting the events that occur when Hanna recruits them to help search for a lost... Read More

Adenrele Ojo gives an outstanding performance of a series of conversations between bell hooks and Cornel West. These two friends and colleagues discuss the complex realities of Black intellectual life. In between their conversations, hooks and West insert essays that they've written about each other, highlighting their academic achievements and mutual admiration. Ojo narrates... Read More

Paul Woodson has the voice of the everyman, as well as an aloof professor, an elite military squad member, an attractive lady, a gruff older woman, various self-assured heads of state, and all sorts of intergalactic life-forms. In this comical sci-fi, reminiscent of Douglas Adams's work, an ordinary young man named Toby finds himself partnered with three extraordinary people;... Read More

Narrator iiKane displays her versatility in this creepy young adult mystery. Bronwyn and her family move from Chicago to Hillwoods, Arkansas, to be closer to her dying Dominican grandmother, Lala. Brownyn is disappointed to learn there are no pools; swimming is not allowed in this strange town with its strange rules. Chapters alternate between Bronwyn and her cousin Anais, a... Read More

Narrator Carolyn Jania's gentle voice is a good match for this audiobook, especially the author's use of metaphor and simile. Bluebirds serve as the principal metaphor in her examination of climate change. Young, a nature writer, chronicles the changing lives of various inhabitants of her property in the Colorado Rockies. While the bluebird species get the most attention,... Read More

Narrator Ann Richardson brings a calm and pleasant feminine voice to the legendary life of Thurídur Einarsdóttir. Captain Thurídur's life from the late 1700s and early 1800s was difficult because of weather, terrain, and social customs, but it didn't stop her from being the strong and independent purposeful woman she was. The challenges of life in a rural, rugged, and risky... Read More

Fans of the music business will devour this fascinating audiobook about the inner workings of the renowned British recording studio Abbey Road and the engineers and musicians who made it famous. The author, a veteran music journalist and gifted storyteller, narrates with slow and deliberate articulation typical of his generation, but his performance is full of color and... Read More

Shaina Summerville's talented narration transports listeners to contemporary Jerusalem. Israeli intelligence agent Maya Rimon and Ethiopian lawyer Dani Solomon set out to discover who is behind the killings of family members of a prominent Ethiopian Jewish family. As she pieces together the significance of the clues left on the victims' bodies, Maya soon realizes that this is a... Read More

Daniel Henning's uplifting performance brings out the best in this audiobook exploring the importance and prevalence of gay culture on "The Street." Ethan Mordden's comprehensive research spanning the years 1910-2010 opens wide the closet doors, and Henning revels in the flamboyant anecdotes and colorful quotes that tumble out. Mordden credits early warriors such as 1920s... Read More

Adenrele Ojo performs bell hooks's modern classic, bringing it to audio for the first time. Hooks writes about how Black women's well-being is still deeply impacted by sexism, racism, and homophobia. To better themselves and their communities, Black women should focus on self-recovery--nurturing their sense of self by taking care of their mental, emotional, and physical... Read More

Barry Abrams is at it again, narrating a sports book in his signature casual tone. When baseball fans look at 1973, they find a season that includes the doormat-to-contender New York Mets; the Oakland A's, led by frugal owner Charlie Finley; one of the game's greatest players--Willie Mays--in his final year; and Hank Aaron in pursuit of the home-run record. Author John... Read More

Narrator Kyla García does a fine job emulating the sense of motion that the author returns to throughout this brief and engaging collection of essays. García skillfully navigates Glancy's idiosyncratic style--sometimes dramatic monologue, sometimes academic exegesis, sometimes self-revelation--and she captures the often musing tone of her constant crisscrossing of the country.... Read More

David Shih narrates Ayatsuji's locked-room tale of suspense with a neutral intensity that suits the pulp-noir book by the well-known Japanese author of horror and mystery novels. Once a year, a hideously scarred man who wears a rubber mask invites selected men to visit his strange house and view his deceased father's equally strange paintings. One year, paintings disappear, and... Read More

Jennifer Aquino's expressive narration allows listeners to become immersed in this fiery political fantasy. Thanh was brought to a rival kingdom as a political hostage. While there, she had an affair with Princess Eldris, heir to that kingdom, and almost died in a supernatural fire. She returned home a much more introverted person. Now Eldris is proposing marriage to Thanh. But... Read More

Rich Miller straightforwardly takes listeners through a graphic and sometimes violent examination of long-term solitary confinement in the U.S. prison system. In 1983, Thomas Silverstein and Clayton Fountain each murdered a prison guard on the same day in the same prison. Federal prison officials used the slayings to justify the creation of "supermax" (high-security) prisons.... Read More

Narrator Ann Richardson presents the story of Anna M. Rosenberg, the first woman to receive the Medal of Freedom. She began her career as a confidante to FDR and later influenced Truman, Eisenhower, and LBJ. Rosenberg was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant whose abilities and intelligence turned her into a household name during WWII. Speaking with a Hungarian accent, Richardson uses... Read More

Jonathan Yen's relaxed, well-modulated narration invites listeners to learn about the white pine tree's rich and complex history in the Northeast and Northern regions of the U.S. Yen's unhurried performance gives space for reflection as the author expounds upon humans' impact on the white pine and its ecosystem, as well as our role in its preservation. Yen's grounded vocals... Read More

Elisabeth Lagelee's narration of this audiobook is just right. Raised in Paris, she brings the sound and sensibility that this very Paris-influenced text needs. Her lovely voice and musical delivery of French words and phrases elevate this detailed and meticulously researched dive into the eighteenth century, when the first eating places were established. Spang used travel... Read More

Heather Duffy, narrator of this audiobook and best friend of Anne Heche, has the unenviable task of performing the late actor's second memoir. Part personal history and part self-help guide, the work covers Heche's childhood sexual assault; her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Ellen DeGeneres; and other personal experiences. It also captures the poetry and practices that... Read More

Cindy Kay is easy on the ears as she delivers this imaginative story of lively villagers who remain in a sleepy South Korean outpost as most of their country forges into 21st-century modernity. Through detailed narrative, Kay switches between the actions of two wildly different women. From the scheming mother, Geumbok, to her mute daughter, Chunhui, Kay establishes easily... Read More

A diverse ensemble of talented narrators lends their voices to poignant short stories featuring teens who make choices between backing down or standing up and making themselves heard. The lyrical poems between stories are thoughtfully narrated by Amir Abdullah and Adenrele Ojo. Narrator Soneela Nakani projects the anxiety of a Black girl who is trying to survive a police... Read More

In this entertaining biography of actress, writer, entertainer, and puppeteer Shari Lewis (1933-1998) and her most famous creation, Lamb Chop, we get many personal anecdotes, as well as an in-depth look at how Shari and Lamb Chop found each other. It is narrated by Lewis's daughter, Mallory, and her publicist, Nat Segaloff, and also features appropriately snarky interjections... Read More

British art historian Katy Hessel's enthusiasm for her subject is evident. Drawn from her Instagram, @thegreatwomenartists, this audiobook is a global compendium of female artists spanning the years 1500 to the present. A variety of art forms are included besides painting, drawing, and sculpture, such as quilting and weaving. Hessel has a lot of ground to cover, and she... Read More

Former BBC art editor Will Gompertz examines a diverse selection of paintings and sculpture to explain aspects of the art that most people overlook. He says we get more from both art and life when we approach what we encounter more consciously and with more curiosity. This richly detailed art lesson is delivered by British narrator Matt Addis in a relaxed and highly inviting... Read More

This scrupulously detailed audiobook account of one of history's most consequential sea battles highlights the value of egalitarian fighters over paid troops, the Greek approach over the Persian one. Tom Perkins's narration is steady and reliable; he maintains a tone of strict impartiality and lets the evidence in this audiobook speak for itself. The Battle of Salamis, fought... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella is the voice of Juni Jessup in this first installment of Blacke's newest cozy mystery series. Juni returns to Texas to join her two older sisters, Tansy and Maggie, in reviving their family's vinyl record shop. They add a coffee bar and rename it Sip & Spin Records. In spite of Cedar River's location just outside Austin, Zanzarella gives Juni an accentless... Read More

This brief but incisive audiobook is about the comedian, writer, director, and sometimes musician Mel Brooks. Author Jeremy Dauber narrates in a conversational tone and a New York accent. There's also a fair presence of mouth noise throughout. Nonetheless, it's all here for fans and detractors alike--Brook's humble beginnings, his long-term marriage to actor Anne Bancroft, the... Read More

Historian Alistair Moffat provides brief yet meaty glimpses of events, people, and cultural experiences from a small country that has contributed a vast amount to daily life around the world. Included are scientific discoveries, romantic design elements, and, of course, literary achievements. The contents of this audiobook will engage both fans of Scottish popular culture and... Read More

Listeners will be swept along by Gail Shalan's emotive narration of this novel, set in late-nineteenth-century Virginia, Texas, and New York City. Beautiful Belle Yarrington Huntington catches the eye of railroad magnate Collis Huntington at a Richmond gaming house. She agrees to move to New York City to become his "shadow wife." After bearing Collis's secret son, Belle becomes... Read More

Narrators Curt Bonnem and Lilly Drake's performance of the second book in this paranormal fantasy series is a mixed bag. In the wake of losing her father, Isolde has no time to rest. A deadly mist is infecting vampires, the court is filled with cutthroat politics, and her love for Adrian is being tested again. There appears to be a lack of communication between the narrators,... Read More

Amelie Griffin and Alex Kydd narrate a story about second chances and new beginnings. When Georgie Mulcahy unexpectedly ends up back in her hometown after nearly a decade away, a chance encounter with Levi Fanning, former local bad boy, changes both their lives. While Georgie may feel that she's a mess and has no grasp on how to be an adult, Griffin's performance subtly changes... Read More

Narrator Ann Sprinkle's delivery is positive and friendly--perhaps a bit too much so for this informed primer on what some would call a classic oxymoron: business ethics. The content is well organized; each chapter explores a single area of ethics--such as compliance, duty of care, and due diligence--which is then followed by a discussion of each topic's pros and cons.... Read More

Narrator Christina Delaine re-creates an idyllic summer night in editor Amy Brady's life, with crickets and real darkness in Kansas, to introduce these essays about our changing climate. Delaine later recalls Emily Raboteau's grandmother in a way that could bring a smile to listeners' faces as she narrates "How Do You Live With Displacement?"--an essay that compares the Covid... Read More

More than five thousand unique objects were found in King Tutankhamun's tomb when it was unearthed in 1922. English Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson has selected 100 of these artifacts as a launching point to describe everyday life in the time of the pharaohs, both for royals and nonroyals. Accomplished British narrator David Timson guides listeners through this fascinating... Read More

Julienne Irons delivers a robust performance of this rich audiobook. Despite the number of teens disappearing from the Bronx, Raquel steers clear of the crisis until Charlize's cousin, her crush, is taken. Charlize and Raquel trace the disappearances to an underground movement called the Echo Game, a savage game that determines what happens to those captured. Irons's... Read More

William Deresiewicz, author, essayist, and literary critic, has compiled a variety of essays on solitude and leadership, the pitfalls of an Ivy League education (he previously taught English at Yale), and social media's incursion into daily life, among other timely concerns. Narrator Eric Jason Martin adopts a slow pace that is fitting for the unifying theme of the importance... Read More

Mercedes Snow takes listeners on a rollicking good time via a rom-com road trip through Europe. Speaking in a sassy tone and a British accent, she is a capable narrator for this atypical story. Stanley is shaken from his sedentary life through a chance encounter with artistic, free-spirited Jessie. Snow shows us their burgeoning friendship alongside a mystical caper that brings... Read More

Anastasia Watley brings this story to life with her expressive voice and excellent pacing. Her portrayals of the different characters are distinct and consistent, making it easy for listeners to follow the plot and become invested in the characters' journey. Dae is kidnapped from her homeland on the eve of her wedding and taken to the Jaharri desert, where she is saved from... Read More

Narrator Allyson Johnson takes listeners through the lives of four women whose work changed the world. Ella Baker, Jane Jacobs, Rachel Carson, and Betty Friedan are now known for their impact, but back when they pursued their goals, their ideas were considered radical. From civil rights (Baker) and city planning (Jacobs) to the destructive use of pesticides (Carson) and the... Read More

British paleoarchaeologist Paul Pettitt chronicles new discoveries that are adding to humans' understanding of our evolution and adaptation, as well as innovations that have contributed to our species' development. In this comprehensive audio tour of our collective early history, narrator Julian Elfer's British-accented performance is animated by a lively pace that keeps the... Read More

Derek Perkins is a favored narrator for serious nonfiction, and rightly so. Expressive but unintrusive, his voice is familiar on first hearing it yet still fresh after 500 performances. Here he narrates the first full biography of Boris Iofan, state architect under Stalin, whose career exemplifies the uneasy relationship between architecture and power. The narrative is an... Read More

Vanessa Johansson's thoughtful delivery makes this ratiocinative novel come alive. Johansson portrays Abigail, a feminist academic, in an ironic and angsty tone. Having been turned down for tenure, Abigail, an economist, spends a sleepless night prepping for a speech and examining her life and career, especially what went wrong. She is joined by an imaginary John Maynard... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella narrates crisply with a sure sense of timing that propels this wide-ranging love letter to food communitarians, back-to-the-land advocates, and those who try their hands at agriculture. Her conversational style fits the first-person memoir parts of the text, and she smoothly moves to the many historical profiles that range from Thoreau to Stuart Brand, editor... Read More

Jeed Saddy performs this dazzling debut essay collection from author Neema Avashia. The daughter of immigrant parents, Avashia grew up as one of a number of Indian American families in southern West Virginia. Avashia describes being deeply rooted in her Appalachian community and considers many of her neighbors to be almost family. Identities can be messy, and Saddy's narration... Read More

Narrator Michael Page sounds like an enthusiastic scientist in this examination of the technology that will be necessary for future interstellar travel. Page's voice has ease and fluidity as he delivers this highly complex material. His smooth style helps listeners feel comfortable with challenging topics like fusion propulsion, robotics, nuclear fission, and the cosmos itself.... Read More

Joshua Whitehead performs his essay collection, which centers on Indigiqueer identity and living in an Indigenous body in a society formed by colonialism. Each essay intimately presents Whitehead's perspective as he examines the world around him and works through discussions of intergenerational trauma, the stories of his family's experience, and Indigenous storytelling.... Read More

Based on the popular podcast "Poetry Unbound," this audiobook is a fine anthology of poetry, as well as a very good introduction, for those who need it, to how to think about poetry. Even old poetry hands will enjoy and appreciate Pádraig O Tuama's brief and insightful essays accompanying each poem, as well as the poems themselves, many of which are likely to be unfamiliar even... Read More

Linda Jones narrates this study subtitled "True Stories of America's Ghosts." It examines gender issues related to the most famous, notorious, and unusual legends of ghosts in our culture. Jones delivers the work in a cool, gentle voice. Divided into seven parts, this literary treatise on ghost tales, seances, and the paranormal includes only brief clips of such tales. Instead,... Read More

If you think humans have a monopoly on creativity, this compelling audiobook will make you think again. Sheri Saginor narrates with clarity and intonations befitting the amazing animal behaviors she describes. Saginor also conveys the significance of perceiving and understanding animals' creative expressions--such as how a beaver or octopus's tool use and construction of their... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning portrays musical prodigy Gleb Yanovsky from early in his career to middle age with a genuine-sounding awe and pleasure. Gleb, a classical guitarist, allows biographer Sergei Nesterov to trace his roots from Ukraine to celebrated stages worldwide as he faces personal disappointments and, ultimately, the loss of his gift from Parkinson's disease.... Read More

Part memoir from his Guam childhood and part manifesto, this audio collection of essays by climate activist Julian Aguon looks at resistance, resilience, and collective power in the age of climate disaster. It's also a call for justice--for everyone but, in particular, for Indigenous peoples. Michael Ignacio's narration exactly fits the text. He adds appropriate outrage,... Read More

The third book in the Detective Kyoichiro Kaga series is a compelling police procedural full of twists that will keep listeners hooked. A man is found murdered in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Another man is injured while attempting to flee and is in possession of the murdered man's wallet. Case closed? Not so fast. There's much more going on than meets the eye. Narrator... Read More

Author Marina Warner narrates this complicated memoir, which combines her parents' experiences in WWII and her own memories of growing up in England and Egypt. Her polished British accent helps frame this reimagining of how her Italian and English parents got together. Warner evokes the bygone era with her soft, gentle style. Listeners can sink into the author's memories, which... Read More

Narrator Paul Bellantoni has a fine delivery and a rich tone. He ably narrates this witty audiobook. His pace allows the many stories of Italian-American/American-Italian food to stay with the listener. The work is part celebration of the traditional checkered tablecloth spaghetti-and-meatball joints that were common in the U.S. for decades and part revelation of the origins of... Read More

In a tone that sounds deeply felt, Nene Nwoko delivers this complicated, tragic story of a family torn apart by the civil war in Rwanda. Her approach underscores Blanche's confusion and trauma at fleeing as a Tutsi child and returning as an adult with her half-French children. Nwoko's delivery is slow, almost to the point of being pedantic, but this is a story that many will... Read More

Daniela Acitelli delivers an honest and straightforward performance in this introductory audio guide for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming youth. This audiobook serves to provide and clarify the language we use when we talk about gender identity and being trans by using inclusive language that considers each person's unique journey toward discovering their true... Read More

Anne Flosnik generally does a lovely job with the latest H.G. Wells biography, this one by the award-winning Claire Tomalin. Although the word "young" in this audiobook stretches past the age of 40, Wells's behavior justifies the adjective. The period includes the bulk of his best and most influential work. Flosnik does not attempt to create voices for Wells's friends,... Read More

Narrator Nancy Wu gives a passionate and commanding performance in this fantasy retelling of the Chinese classic ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS. Despite being orphaned at a young age, Zephyr's ambition earns her the title of best strategist in the kingdom. She faithfully serves under the warlordess Xin Ren, whose goal is to claim the entire continent. When she has no other... Read More

Narrator Chanté McCormick purrs and croons as she portrays Lady Abigail Worthing, an upper class Black woman from the Caribbean Islands who is slowly settling into the ton and her absent husband's house. Lord and Lady Worthing's house is adjacent to the property of her highborn neighbor, Lt. Stapleton Henderson, who has recently retired from serving in the Napoleonic Wars. When... Read More

With his appealing pitch and tempo patterns, narrator Chris Abernathy provides this engaging audiobook with the perfect balance of documentary clarity and vocal pizzazz. His calm tone and relaxed pacing let the author's diligent research and writing shine. Kennedy was elected the same year the first Baby Boomers became adolescents and took in the dramatic changes in the way... Read More

Holly Adams narrates this chilling biography of Katharine Clark, the first female American journalist to report from behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Clark's story is subtitled "The Untold Story of the Fearless Journalist Who Risked Her Life for Truth and Justice." Adams portrays the strong-willed Clark with a minimum of emotion as she and her husband, Ed, worked... Read More

Mark Deakins returns as narrator of this sixth audiobook in the Maze Runner series, the first installment of a planned trilogy within the series. The story is set 73 years after the Flare, an infectious disease that led to an apocalypse that is chronicled in the first five audiobooks. Descendants of people who were immune to the Flare and sent to live on an island are forced to... Read More

Michael Seth Starr's book details all of the minutiae of the professional side of comedian Don Rickles, and Johnny Heller uses his best, somewhat nasal, anchorman voice to present it. While we are told that Rickles was very different from the insulting person he portrayed in his sixty-year comedy career, this audio has little, if any, insight into the man behind those jokes.... Read More

Barry Abrams narrates a wonderfully compiled series of essays about baseball, viewed through multiple lenses. It's inclusive, with sections on Latin ballplayers, women, and others. Principals range from lesser-known competitors to stars. Abrams really has cornered the market on sports audiobook narration. His almost impish-sounding voice paired with his fun-loving style always... Read More

Peter Noble narrates the return of the cult hero Buckaroo Banzai as he confronts the leader of the World Crime League. Buckaroo has suffered a series of losses, but his greatest nemesis still roams free. Across the galaxy, threats mount, with only Buckaroo Banzai and his allies capable of staring them down. Noble tackles the dense and meandering story with gusto. He captures... Read More

Narrator Michael Butler Murray has a quirky timbre that makes this exploration of all things bee very listenable. He particularly enlivens the somewhat dull and rather lengthy chapters that provide historical background on bee science. What scientists have discovered about bee perception and intelligence is fascinating to hear, but the nitty-gritty of how they figured it... Read More

P.J. Ochlan narrates this WWII story of a Paris detective, Henri Lefort, who has one week to solve the murder of a German officer in the Louvre or face the fatal consequences. Lefort is given a short list of suspects by German authorities but is not allowed to visit the crime scene or see the body. What is everyone hiding--including Lefort himself, who must face his secret... Read More

Ann Marie Lee's delivery of Davis's exhaustive biography brings to life one of America's extraordinary authors and journalists, Stephen Crane, best known for his Civil War novel, THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE. Davis touches on all aspects of Crane's remarkable life and career, with Lee providing a pleasing authoritative tone. Listeners will learn much about Crane's entire body of... Read More

Narrator Justine Eyre intensely narrates the adventures and love story of two archangels. Alexander of Persia and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, the two archangels, have loved and challenged each other for eons. At the start of the story, the pair are in a regenerative sleep when they are awakened to help combat a third archangel who is bent on destroying the world. Eyre takes... Read More

Kerri ní Dochartaigh grew up in Derry, in Northern Ireland, the daughter of a Catholic mother and a Protestant father, during the violence of the Troubles. Her Irish accent, with its working-class roots, lends a clear sense of place. Ní Dochartaigh's voice is meditative, even mystical, and full of rawness, pain, and hard-won wisdom. She learns to find peace from the trauma and... Read More

Tom Beyer's narration often appeals to the emotions. His delivery of the sad stories of koalas who made their way into Australian yards after fires raged through their habitat pulls at the listener's heartstrings. He tells the story of the dangerous mosquitoes moving into Germany with a weary sigh. The accounts of animals and plant life on the move as their habitats shift with... Read More

Writer, historian, and television personality Lucy Worsley narrates her comprehensive biography about the world's most popular crime novelist, Agatha Christie. Listeners will hear many illuminating details about this elusive mystery icon. The biography follows all 85 years of Christie's life--from her privileged childhood to her years married to the handsome but unfaithful and... Read More

This classic depiction of Black family life in Kansas in the 1930s is narrated with grace and skill by Jaime Lincoln Smith. The work brings the struggles and challenges of early-twentieth-century Black American experience to life, complete with Hughes's skillful use of dialect and prose. Smith deftly switches into period diction and local accents, voicing each family member so... Read More

Paul Bellantoni's resonant, empathetic performance leaves nothing to be desired in this revealing, often touching biography of pop music giant George Michael. The vocal tone Bellantoni adopts is restrained and sometimes somber, an approach that sounds right, considering the outsized pathos generated by Michael's charismatic, erotic, tortured life. There's no need to add more... Read More

Xe Sands's low, gravelly voice shines in this historical novel inspired by the life of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Barbara McClintock. Kate Croft arrives at Cornell in 1920 with a fierce love for science, but soon learns how hard it is for a queer woman to succeed as a biologist. Though she's constantly ignored and ridiculed by the men in her field, Kate persists. Xe Sands's... Read More

Narrating this history of a 1941 battle between labor and management, Adam Verner carefully balances the positions of the two men leading the charge. On the management side is Walt Disney, a genius producer of animated entertainment and the son of a socialist. On the labor side is Arthur Babbitsky (aka Art Babbitt), a brilliant animator who elevated the quality of films such as... Read More

Chris Lamb dives into the story of the Cannon Street All-Stars, a 1955 Little League team in South Carolina that was prevented from competing in and ultimately advancing in a key tournament because of Jim Crow segregation. The story transcends sports. Lamb paints a vivid picture of life for Blacks in the South amid the social mores of the time. Midnite Michael's bass pitch and... Read More

Narrator Lisa Larsen serves up a cozy autumn romance set in Autumnboro, New Hampshire. Single horror-story writer Amy Fox is returning to her hometown to care for her grandpa after he crashes into a donut store. When her car breaks down en route, the tow truck driver turns out to be her high school beau, Kit, whose flannel-covered form still catches her eye. Larsen's softly... Read More

As Evan Lieberman takes stock of South Africa's progress with democracy, Daniel Henning narrates with personal emotion. To provide context, the audiobook begins before the end of apartheid. But Lieberman's focus is the election of 2019, during which he found much inequality and disaffection. Henning brings alive the grumbles of voters, people's recollections of living with fear... Read More

Melissa Moran brings a lot of heart to her narration of this queer holiday romance. When Morgan Ross's L.A. event-planning career falls apart after a disaster, she finds herself sent back home to Fern Falls for rest--and to salvage her reputation. She's been a stranger to her friends and family in her picturesque Northern California town since she fled years ago. Now she's... Read More

The first installment in a trilogy, this audiobook is about language first and foremost. It begins with the story of Hiruko--a climate refugee from the "land of sushi." Japan no longer exists, but Hiruko is searching for someone who can speak her language. Along her journey, she collects new friends and fellow travelers. Cindy Kay narrates the backstories of Hiruko's six new... Read More

Narrator Amanda Ronconi portrays plucky Anora in this paranormal drama, part of an enchanting series inspired by Greek mythology. Anora has switched schools after being mixed up in a student's death and freaking out her mother by telling her she can see spirits of the dead. Daniel Thomas May portrays teen heartthrob Shy in a lofty theatrical tone. Missing ghosts, dead knights,... Read More

Narrator Nancy Peterson's well-modulated tones and unhurried pace set the stage for Lasky's clever, often humorous dialogue. This intriguing mystery features real-life artist Georgia O'Keeffe and her Ghost Ranch in the New Mexico desert. When O'Keeffe sets out into the early morning desert to look for bleached animal bones, what she finds instead is a murdered priest. This... Read More

This hour-by-hour reconstruction of a single historical day gathers force and immediacy with Sasha Higgins's passionate delivery. On July 28, 1794, a spontaneous uprising overthrew Maximilien Robespierre, the French Revolution's most radical leader, and the next day he followed so many of his opponents to the guillotine. Thus ended the Revolution. This momentous day becomes a... Read More

Robin Siegerman gives a most winsome narration of this historical overview of the Soviet Union. Fitzpatrick covers the history from before the Revolution of 1917 through civil war, collectivization, forced industrialization, the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, and many other, often traumatic, occurrences and eras through the Russia of today. As a student in the U.S.S.R. in the... Read More

Julian Elfer's pleasant British-accented voice and smooth delivery lend themselves to easy absorption of the fascinating story. A British deserter in 1820s India wanders improbably to Afghanistan, obsessed with finding lost cities founded by Alexander the Great. Part of Elfer's talent is to shift his tone subtly to fit the text. Describing foolhardy absurdities early on, he... Read More

At 15 hours, this fine audiobook history of the West's role in shaping Middle Eastern politics--and more importantly, its geography--takes a fresh look at some familiar names, including T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, and Woodrow Wilson. Derek Perkins is, as always, a flawless narrator, and few could equal the range of skills required here. Many threads come together in this... Read More

In a unique twist on cozy mysteries, narrator C.S.E. Cooney portrays Rarity Cole, a cancer survivor who moves to Sedona to open a bookstore. And when a member of her cancer survivors' book club disappears, the other ladies are determined to solve the case. Cooney performs with a wide range of variations, giving each character detailed vocal qualities--an accent, a change of... Read More

Mostly, Mike Lenz narrates in a low-key, evenhanded way. Still, he becomes excited as he describes the atmosphere surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky's victory in the Ukrainian presidential election. Lenz drops a few hints of trouble ahead, though. And not just the war with Russia. Although the author, a Ukrainian journalist, praises Zelensky's fight against the Russian invasion, he... Read More

Narrator Beth Eyre shares the personal triumphs and heartbreaks of a young woman who is caught in the middle of WWII, Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary. Taken directly from Mary's wartime diaries, this audiobook explores the day-to-day life of a young woman who is both growing up at the center of a powerful British family and becoming her own person during turbulent... Read More

Narrating with excitement, Charlie Thurston tells the story of an octopus who changes colors while sleeping, as if reliving catching and eating a crab. Thurston comes across as engaged and fascinated with the author’s accounts of scientific experiments suggesting that animals dream. Occasionally, Thurston’s voice softens, as when delivering speculation as to whether animals... Read More

Christopher Brown delivers a straightforward narration of this audiobook, which is subtitled "A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Deceit, Spirits and the Birth of a University." The story features Jane Stanford, a most eccentric woman who was cofounder of Stanford University (1885) with her husband and who steered the institution after his death in 1893. Jane Stanford was murdered in... Read More

Elizabeth Wiley's warm voice and audible enthusiasm welcome listeners to the remarkable story of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, a Swedish aristocrat who became a WWI front-line nurse, then a Canadian wilderness nurse, and finally a pioneering bird-watcher known as Canada's Rachel Carson. Captivating even for those with only a passing interest in birds, Simonds's book is an artful... Read More

This debut collection of short stories combines magical realism, folklore, nature, and family in a wholly unique mix. Kyla García's expressive narration conjures the mystical atmosphere evoked in the wide range of stories. In one, women invoke magic in a course on witchcraft at a community college. Another involves the legacies of a California family's multiple Marias, and... Read More

Narrator Raghad Chaar's performance of this audiobook is mesmerizing. She narrates with music in her voice. Her delivery of the many Arabic words and passages intensifies this nonlinear work. Her deft pacing and cadence give form to the memories and experiences that create the plot. The novel ties together the past life of the solitary narrator, Zuhoor, a student at an unnamed... Read More

British actress Diana Quick brings her aristocratic voice and impeccable pacing to this biography of the writer Jean Rhys. Most known for her mesmerizing novel WIDE SARGASSO SEA, Rhys was as extraordinary as the women in her work. Of mixed Welsh, Scots, and Creole descent, she was raised on the Caribbean island of Dominica. After moving to England at age 16, she lived a... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns the listener to the futuristic world of psy and changelings. An unexpected encounter thrusts psy Ivan Mercant and changeling Soleil Bijoux Garcia together--until circumstances separate them. The psy race suppresses their emotions, but something about Soleil has opened Ivan up to feelings. Dawe masterfully handles the emotionless Ivan, keeping her... Read More

Justine O. Keef narrates this story, set in New Zealand. Rugby player Daniel Esera and Paralympian sprinter Catie River transition from friends to lovers. Daniel and Catie have known each other for years--her sister is married to his brother--and they have always maintained a friendly yet combative relationship. Keef's voice hints of the Kiwi accent throughout her narration,... Read More

"Listeners, beware. There are very few happy endings in store," our narrator warns in his introduction to this history of medieval English royals who never made it to the throne. It's a colorful but bloody series of tales. Roger Clark's powerful, richly enunciated narration would in bygone centuries have distinguished him as a bard or court chronicler--and he serves that... Read More

Michael Butler Murray is a capable narrator of this work about attracting native birds, insects, and mammals to your backyard. But the structure of the book makes listening difficult. Murray presents the text clearly at a pace that's easy to follow. His voice has a bit of a lilt when the author anthropomorphizes some of the critters. But each chapter includes a chart of... Read More

Taut writing and Amy Landon's stellar narration create a cinematic listen for fans of serial murder mysteries. FBI Profiler Laurel Snow returns to her hometown in Washington state to investigate a cluster of bodies discovered in the wilderness. The many action scenes are adroitly voiced with high tension and quick pacing. Landon's emotional nuance as a performer is highlighted... Read More

Adenrele Ojo takes listeners on a roller coaster ride in this romantic fantasy. Her over-the-top brash and sexy intonations fit the story. Gaia, an introverted romance author, is caught in a hot, fantastical web with her best friend's younger brother, Jacob. She realizes that he's having the same night dreams she is, a phenomenon that thrusts the pair into uncharted territory.... Read More

Nene Nwoko, born and raised in Nigeria, is a natural choice for narrating this audiobook. This is the third installment in Okorafor’s Nsibidi Scripts trilogy. When Sunny moved from New York to Nigeria in AKATA WITCH, she discovered her heritage—membership in a secret magical community called the Leopard People. Now 16, she and her friends are on a quest to save the world, aided... Read More

Narrator Gina Rogers is outstanding in this engaging listen about the rise of the U.S. Women's National (soccer) Team. The audiobook chronicles the team's evolution since the 1999 World Cup through stories about and interviews with the original trailblazers. Listeners will hear about well-known players like Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy and about players and coaches they may be less... Read More

Ken Caminiti was among the first of baseball's superstars to be tainted by steroids, and his struggles with substance abuse went much deeper than performance-enhancing drugs. Tom Parks's narration of Caminiti's tragic story is languid, almost sleepy, a style that emphasizes the fact that the text is longer than it needs to be. At times, the research is not just exhaustive, but... Read More

Beverley Crick's lilting Scottish accent takes listeners straight to the seaside town of Nairn, where Paislee runs a knitting shop, cares for her son and grandfather, hangs with some nasty women, and solves murders on the side. At a fundraiser for the local food bank, someone poisons the shortbread, with dire results. Crick's performance, especially her nuanced use of... Read More

This account of Canada's 2002 gold medal in Olympics men's hockey features plenty of interviews with members of that great team. Unfortunately, it's here that narrator Barry Abrams sounds least comfortable. When narrating dialogue, he raises his pitch to make the speakers sound giddily excited, and occasionally even like children. A more measured tone would have been... Read More

David Shih's skilled narration transports listeners to Tokyo as Detective Galileo, professor of physics and unofficial consultant to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, pieces together clues to help track down the killer of a suspected murderer. In this intriguing police procedural, Shih's delivery of Japanese names and places helps to build an authentic atmosphere. With his strong... Read More

Award-winning historian Dr. Ian Mortimer returns listeners to his Time Traveler's Guide series, this time narrating his work on the historical aspects of Regency Britain. For fans of "Bridgerton" and the works of Jane Austen, this audiobook gives listeners an accurate historical perspective of Regency Britain's styles, behaviors, events, and a wealth of other information one... Read More