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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 12 FICTION |
BETWEEN, GEORGIA Joshilyn Jackson Read by Joshilyn Jackson (Hachette Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | UN |
CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN Fannie Flagg Read by Fannie Flagg (Random House Audio) Read Review | AB |
FORTUNATE SON Walter Mosley Read by Lorraine Toussaint (Hachette Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | UN |
GENTLEMEN & PLAYERS Joanne Harris Read by Steven Pacey (Harper Audio/BBC Audiobooks America) Read Review | UN |
IMPERIUM Robert Harris Read by Simon Jones (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review | UN |
KAFKA ON THE SHORE Haruki Murakami Read by Sean Barrett, Oliver Le Sueur (Naxos AudioBooks) Read Review | UN |
ORDINARY HEROES Scott Turow Read by Edward Herrmann (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | UN |
A SPOT OF BOTHER Mark Haddon Read by Simon Vance (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | UN |
SUITE FRANCAISE Irene Nemirovsky Read by Daniel Oreskes, Barbara Rosenblat (HighBridge Audio) Read Review | UN |
TELEGRAPH DAYS Larry McMurtry Read by Annie Potts (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review | UN |
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Sara Gruen Read by David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones (HighBridge Audio) Read Review | UN |
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lionel Shriver Read by Barbara Rosenblat (Recorded Books) Read Review | UN |
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Lorraine Toussaint's narration of Walter Mosley's FORTUNATE SON enhances the text as only the best audio performances can--never mind that it was one of the first audiobooks she recorded. Lorraine's intuitive touch brings out the humanity of Mosley's characters but sidesteps melodrama. The parallel lives of two boys intrigue and involve listeners. Mosley's book in print, a piece unlike much of his other writing, did not get too much attention, but this rendition makes it extraordinary. And we hope to hear more from Lorraine! Read Review
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WATER FOR ELEPHANTS achieves something that only the audio medium can accomplish--two different actors telling the story of protagonist Jacob Jankowski, who becomes a vet in the Benzini Brothers Circus in the 1930s. We hear the young voice of Jacob by David LeDoux, and when Jacob is 90, we hear John Randolph Jones in performances rich in nuance and keen understanding of the characters. A love story, a circus story, a story about Rosie the elephant. Don't miss it. Read Review
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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 7 FAMILY LISTENING |
BLUES JOURNEY Walter Dean Myers Read by Richard Allen (Live Oak Media) Read Review | UN |
COUNT KARLSTEIN Philip Pullman Read by Joe Thurley, a Full Cast (Listening Library) Read Review | UN |
THE MERCY WATSON COLLECTION: Vol. 1 Kate DiCamillo Read by Ron McLarty (Listening Library) Read Review | UN |
ONCE Morris Gleitzman Read by Morris Gleitzman (Bolinda Audio) Read Review | UN |
PETER AND THE SHADOW THIEVES Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson Read by Jim Dale (Brilliance Audio) Read Review | UN |
RABBIT EARS SERIES Various Authors Read by Kathleen Turner, Glenn Close, et al. (Listening Library) Read Review | UN |
THE SNOW SPIDER Jenny Nimmo Read by John Keating (Scholastic Audio) Read Review | UN |
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We were thrilled when Listening Library relaunched the Rabbit Ears series of storybook recordings, which have been unavailable for years. Collected treasuries of fables, tall tales, world tales, and more are narrated by the likes of Denzel Washington and Kathleen Turner, all with musical accompaniment--perfect family listening. And the next time you stop in Starbucks for a latte, look for The Velveteen Rabbit (with a George Winston score) and The Night Before Christmas (featuring Christmas carols) book-and-CD sets, both read by Meryl Streep and available exclusively at Starbucks locations through the end of the year. Read Review
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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 5 NONFICTION |
THE BIG OYSTER Mark Kurlansky Read by Tom Stechschulte (Random House Audio) Read Review | |
DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE Anderson Cooper Read by Anderson Cooper (Harper Audio) Read Review | |
KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS Jeffrey Siegel Read by Jeffrey Siegel (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | |
THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA Michael Pollan Read by Scott Brick (Penguin Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | AB |
SMALL IS THE NEW BIG Seth Godin Read by Seth Godin (HighBridge Audio) Read Review | AB |
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Pianist Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations make innovative use of the audiobook form: Each program includes concert selections by Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and others as well as Siegel's commentary. They're educational, entertaining, and uniquely suited to audio. Read Review
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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 6 BIOGRAPHY & HISTORY |
THE BIG BAM Leigh Montville Read by Scott Brick (Books on Tape) Read Review | |
MAYFLOWER Nathaniel Philbrick Read by George Guidall (Penguin Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review | |
AN ORDINARY MAN Paul Rusesabagina, Tom Zoellner Read by Dominic Hoffman (Penguin Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | |
SOUND AND FURY Dave Kindred Read by Dick Hill (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review | |
TEN HOURS UNTIL DAWN Michael J. Tougias Read by Joe Barrett (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review | |
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Joan Didion Read by Barbara Caruso (HighBridge Audio) Read Review | UN |
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For most Americans, the grim detail of life in the Plymouth colony of the 1600s has fallen prey to popular history notions of Pilgrims and a Thanksgiving feast. InMAYFLOWER, National Book Award winner Philbrick brings a factual account of not just the hardships, but the complex community relations and ensuing war. Golden Voice George Guidall makes this history even more accessible through his keen understanding of Philbrick's style and intent, not to mention his facility with dozens of Native American names. Read Review
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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 4 CLASSICS |
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS Ernest Hemingway Read by Campbell Scott (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review | |
IN COLD BLOOD Truman Capote Read by Scott Brick (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | |
MOBY-DICK Herman Melville Read by William Hootkins (Naxos AudioBooks) Read Review | |
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN James Joyce Read by Jim Norton (Naxos AudioBooks) Read Review | |
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This year, Simon & Schuster Audio began releasing new unabridged recordings of Hemingway's major works, including FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. AudioFile's review calls Campbell Scott's narration layered and subtle: "With Hemingway, less is always more, and Scott's presentation succeeds like no other could." The audio experience brings this classic into the spotlight again and makes it accessible to a new generation of readers, highlighting "the understated intensity of Hemingway's prose and his simple yet powerful diction." Other winning performances include James Naughton reading A MOVEABLE FEAST and Will Patton reading TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT. Library editions are available from Recorded Books. Read Review
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![](/content/uploaded/images/dot_clear.gif) TOP 8 MYSTERY & SUSPENSE |
THE ART OF DETECTION Laurie R. King Read by Alyssa Bresnahan, Robert Ian Mackenzie (Recorded Books) Read Review | |
THE DEAD YARD Adrian McKinty Read by Gerard Doyle (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review | |
THE BOOK OF FATE Brad Meltzer Read by Scott Brick (Hachette Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review | |
END IN TEARS Ruth Rendell Read by John Lee (Books on Tape) Read Review | |
THE 5TH HORSEMAN James Patterson Read by Carolyn McCormick (Hachette Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review | |
THE KEEP Jennifer Egan Read by Jeff Gurner, Geneva Carr (Audio Partners/BBC Audiobooks America) Read Review | |
TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD Elizabeth Peters Read by Barbara Rosenblat (Harper Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review | |
TWELVE SHARP Janet Evanovich Read by Lorelei King (Audio Renaissance/BBC Audiobooks America) Read Review | |
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Longtime audiobook collaborators Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Rosenblat somehow manage to keep each new Amelia Peabody adventure fresh, funny, and thoroughly entertaining, and TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD is no exception. The centerpiece of Egyptian archaeology--the discovery of King Tut's tomb--provides this episode with further historical detail, and colorful characters abound. AudioFile's review affirms, "The Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Rosenblat audio enterprise seems to gain panache with each outing." This perfect balance of author and narrator showcases the audiobook medium in all its glory. The pair even appear occasionally at live events--talk about a dynamic duo! Read Review |
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Janet Evanovich's series rolls on (check out www.evanovich.com for sound clips, monthly contests, and more). While several narrators have recorded her work, author Evanovich and narrator Lorelei King are becoming a standout pair in the audiobook world. In each outing, King is called upon to portray dozens of characters of varying wackiness: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, her men--fellow bail bondsman Ranger and Vice cop Joe Morelli, her sometimes-partner Lula, and the incomparable Grandma Mazur--and those are the good guys (more or less). In TWELVE SHARP, King also takes on a stalker, a stranger, and a parade of miscreants in an episode darker than most. With enough restraint to keep listeners involved but not exhausted by the characters, King manages a brilliant balancing act. It's a sure bet that #13 will be lucky in these hands. Read Review
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![Anchor Anchor](http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/Scripts/ckeditor/plugins/fakeobjects/images/spacer.gif?t=CAPD) UN = Unabridged AB = Abridged AUD = Audio program
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