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Many of the greatest Portuguese writers of the last century are Fernando Pessoa, who wrote under dozens of names. This audiobook is presented as having been written by Pessoa's fictional friend, Bernardo Soares. Adam Sims narrates the 481 sections--some as short as a single sentence--with a detached air appropriate to someone to whom identity is no longer an interesting... Read More

Robin Miles narrates broadcast journalist Meredith Viera's invitation to fellow booklovers to join her in discovering and rediscovering the 100 books discussed in the PBS series "The Great American Read." Miles speaks in such a welcoming tone that listeners will feel Viera's invitation as a personal request. At the heart of the audiobook are descriptions of the books and... Read More

Peter Sagal exudes enthusiasm and wry humor throughout this memoir regardless of whether he is reminiscing about his fastest marathon or about using running to survive depression. Sagal hosts NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!" with a distinctive radio voice combined with comic timing. Here his focus is running, and he has a lot to say--you need only shoes to start, run without... Read More

With no warning, people around the world start losing their shadows. At first, this phenomenon is fascinating, but then the awful truth emerges: Once people lose their shadows, all of their memories--their entire selves--vanish, too. James Fouhey and Emily Woo Zeller narrate the story of Ory and Max's fight to survive in the aftermath of the forgetting epidemic. Fouhey's... Read More

Prepare to suspend modern beliefs and enter medieval France, 1350, a jubilee year for the Roman Catholic Church--a time steeped in pilgrimages, superstitions, and relic worship. Boy is a young, hunchbacked goatherd who is unexpectedly pressed into service by Secundus, a mysterious pilgrim. Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates Boy's account of his travels with the strange relic seeker.... Read More

Joan could change the future of her dystopian society with her special abilities, but a maniacal despot wants to capture and use her for a different purpose. Narrator Xe Sands jumps right into this novel at a quick pace. As the story progresses, there is, at times, a nonchalance in her tone that works well with the sarcastic first-person point of view. At other times, Sands... Read More

There’s something pleasingly old-fashioned about Michael Sheen’s narration, which is matched by the pleasure of returning to Pullman’s world of daemons and Dust. Sheen fully inhabits the text, and he’s utterly believable as 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead, who meets baby Lyra (heroine of Pullman’s His Dark Materials series) and embarks on a perilous adventure to protect her from... Read More

Told in the form of letters, this nontraditional yet fascinating memoir is narrated with grace and clarity by Marisol Ramirez. Colombian artist Emma Reyes shares a series of anecdotes from her desperately poor childhood, memories heavy with cruelty, hunger, and loss. Ramirez maintains a brisk pace that somehow suits the matter-of-fact tone of the letters, but it can be... Read More

With good cheer, author Meik Wiking (THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE) offers friendly-sounding advice on why the Danes are consistently named among the world’s happiest people, and steps we can all take to increase our personal happiness. Tips include biking to work, getting to know your neighbors, volunteering, and saving money for future experiences that you can look forward to. As... Read More

Resonant, heartfelt performances by the British-Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae Kazim and Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Mpho, will transport listeners in a visceral way to that place and time when so much healing was needed in South Africa. With calm intensity, Kazim delivers the author's melodic prose and thoughtful teachings; both narrators read the first-person stories of victims... Read More

The fictional cathedral city of Barchester, England, is the setting for this rich mix of history, romance, and mystery. Narrator Charles Armstrong recounts the story of a quest to uncover a lost ancient manuscript and the secret of the Holy Grail. Armstrong does a sterling job of bringing to life Arthur Prescott, an English professor who lives for his time in the library. The... Read More

Conceived "in something close to a bona fide miracle," when Polly was 57, 10-year-old Willow worries that her now 68-year-old chain-smoking mother will succumb to "the Bear," Willow's name for cancer. Narrator Jenna Lamia is just terrific as the outspoken Willow. She completely immerses herself in the child's perception and descriptions of Polly's life. When Polly takes over,... Read More

This gentle audiobook, narrated by Kim Mai Guest, shares the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced "hoo-gah") with the rest of the rushed and lonely world. The production quietly explores definitions of hygge--the feeling of contentment, community, and belonging, cultivated alone or shared cozily with others--and expands the universe of small actions we can take to invite more of... Read More

You’ll finally know how to pronounce “hygge” after listening to this audiobook—and you might find yourself wanting to invite author Meik Wiking over for some mulled wine. Hygge is the Danish concept of coziness-plus that’s currently experiencing a surge of publicity outside Denmark. Narrating with a slight accent, Wiking is an able and appealing reader of his own work, which... Read More

Jim Denison narrates this audiobook about audiobooks--it doesn't get more meta than that for listeners. Rubery reveals the audiobook's history from its technological emergence in the late nineteenth century to the commercial explosion of audiobooks in the last 50 years. Throughout, he contemplates the many complicated considerations that authors, narrators, producers, and... Read More

The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, interviewed by Douglas Abrams, give enlightening advice on how to achieve joy even during difficult times. Douglas Abrams is both an excellent author and interviewer who knows how to present a question most effectively and how to relay the answers of these widely respected spiritual leaders clearly and informatively. All three voices are... Read More

The tasteful drama in Suzanne Toren’s urbane performance makes this a most enjoyable audio to hear. Her creative phrasing and historical sensibilities leave no meaning or nuance unexpressed. This exceptional audiobook begins with a curiosity-provoking overview of how emotions have been thought about and spoken about since the dawn of recorded history. The meat of the program is... Read More

The late actor Vincent Price’s relationships with animals provide the vehicle for loving reminiscences in this reissue of a 1961 effort, beautifully and sensitively narrated by his daughter, Victoria. Joe was a sweet mutt with some behavioral problems whom Price adopted at a sad period in his personal life. Stories abound of all sorts of creatures well known to Price’s... Read More

Sometimes an author can succeed as a narrator. Tigay's enthusiasm for his subject certainly bubbles through. But authors are not usually professional readers. And Tigay sometimes reads too rapidly. His grasp of the relevant languages is a big plus, however. The mysteries he writes about embrace far-off locations on several continents; it's hard to click the "off" button. In the... Read More

Narrator Paul Boehmer brings a rich voice edged with wonder to his performance of this sequel, which combines elements of mystery, adventure, and alternate history. Boehmer's vitality makes even lengthy passages of exposition interesting as listeners enter Max's complicated world. Even though he's busy with his career as a "solutioneer," he's worried about his parents, who may... Read More

With a desire to explore the road not taken--the so-called "bohemian-explorer-intellectual kind of life"--a goal she gave up after she unexpectedly became pregnant in college, literature professor Kimberly Meyer undertakes a pilgrimage with her now-grown daughter, Ellie. In a youthful, slightly sleepy voice, Meyer describes the path she and her daughter follow, which... Read More

Narrator Ari Fliakos has complete control over this tale of magical realism as he underplays the drama and makes the outlandish seem plausible. The story jumps in time between narratives--one set in the present day, in which first-person narrator Simon finds his life falling apart, and the other set amid the eighteenth-century traveling "menagerie" of Simon's ancestors. Fliakos... Read More

This remarkable audiobook unfolds movingly as delivered in a calm, measured voice by narrator Michael Goldstrom. Set in WWII-era Poland, the novel reveals the horrors of war through the eyes of the title character, Aron, whom Goldstrom voices perfectly. His performance has a quiet quality that suits the subject matter—after all, nothing could FULLY re-create these powerful... Read More

This sonic production captivates the listener with narrations by Terence Aselford and cast. The voices complement the eccentric music and sound effects. The role of lead character Horace, a soldier from the west who has joined the Great Crusade against the heathens of Akeshia, is taken by Thomas Keegan. He and the other actors put listeners in the moment, appropriately setting... Read More

When the USIC Corporation selects Christian minister Peter to witness alien life on a newly discovered planet, he's thrilled--but sorry to leave his wife, Bea. As his mission progresses, Bea writes to him describing catastrophic events on Earth. Narrator Josh Cohen switches effortlessly between Peter's assured British accent, Bea's Yorkshire accent, and various others.... Read More