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AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2010 These are the stories that kept us riveted to our headphones and speakers, that urged us to take the long way home, to stay up past our bedtimes, to keep listening for five more minutes. On the following pages, you’ll find some truly great listens--in history and fiction, mystery and young adult, biography and contemporary culture, and multi-voice productions that span genres--and profiles of the narrators who transform words on a page into art for the ear.



BEST AUDIOBOOKS - FICTION	Fiction Children & Family Listening Mystery & Suspense History & Historical Fiction Biography & Culture Author-Read Young Adult Multi-Voice Productions
THE BOY WITH THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART Mathias Malzieu Read by Jim Dale (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
THE CHILDREN’S BOOK A.S. Byatt Read by Rosalyn Landor (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
THE CORAL THIEF Rebecca Stott Read by Simon Prebble (Tantor Media) Read Review
FREEDOM Jonathan Franzen Read by David Ledoux (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK Doris Lessing Read by Juliet Stevenson (Naxos AudioBooks) Read Review
MATTERHORN Karl Marlantes Read by Bronson Pinchot (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
NEMESIS Philip Roth Read by Dennis Boutsikaris (Audible, Inc./Brilliance Audio) Read Review
A SECRET KEPT Tatiana de Rosnay Read by Simon Vance (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET David Mitchell Read by Jonathan Aris, Paula Wilcox (Recorded Books) Read Review
THE TOWER, THE ZOO, AND THE TORTOISE Julia Stuart Read by Jonathan Cowley (Random House Audio) Read Review
A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD Jennifer Egan Read by Roxana Ortega (AudioGO) Read Review
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AudioFile’s review says it all: “Masterful describes not only Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel but also David Ledoux’s reading of the book. From the beginning,FREEDOM is a gripping tragicomedy featuring Walter and Patty Berglund, whose lives unravel as they and their children confront their innermost selves. Ledoux’s performance is every bit the equal of Franzen’s brilliant dialogue and vivid characters. His voice inhabits the characters’ psyches, sharing their loves, fears, and anxieties. Ledoux gives a vibrant performance, imbuing each character with a unique voice and tone. As a result, the listener is drawn deeper into the story, experiencing every moment with the Berglunds as they try to cope with the changes in the world and in their home. FREEDOM demonstrates the power of both the written and spoken word.” Read Review

MATTERHORN is a heartrending, nerve-jangling novel of the Vietnam War. Narrator Bronson Pinchot makes sure that listeners are right there in the jungle with Lieutenant Waino Mellas and the men of Bravo Company, feeling all of their tension and fear. AudioFile‘s review declared that Pinchot “should get a medal for his extraordinary portrayals”--listeners are sure to agree. Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - CHILDREN & FAMILY LISTENING
Ages 4-8
KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO Mo Willems Read by Mo Willems, Trixie Willems, et al. (Weston Woods) Read Review
MATH CURSE Jon Scieszka Read by Nancy Wu (Weston Woods) Read Review
ONE BEASTLY BEAST Garth Nix Read by Stig Weymss (Bolinda Audio) Read Review
THE SCRAMBLED STATES OF AMERICA TALENT SHOW Laurie Keller Read by Jon Carroll, David de Vries, Diana Canova (Weston Woods) Read Review
SHREK! William Steig Read by Stanley Tucci (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
THIS JAZZ MAN Karen Ehrhardt Read by James “D Train” Williams (Live Oak Media) Read Review
Ages 8+
THE CARDTURNER Louis Sachar Read by Louis Sachar (Listening Library) Read Review
CARRY ON, MR. BOWDITCH Jean Lee Latham Read by Jim Weiss (Greathall Productions) Read Review
COSMIC Frank Cottrell Boyce Read by Kirby Heyborne (Harper Audio) Read Review
THE DEATH-DEFYING PEPPER ROUX Geraldine McCaughrean Read by Anton Lesser (Listening Library) Read Review
KEEPER Kathi Appelt Read by Kathi Appelt (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review
SENT Margaret Peterson Haddix Read by Chris Sorenson (Recorded Books) Read Review
SPACE STATION RAT Michael J. Daley Read by Daniel Bostick (Full Cast Audio) Read Review
TIME QUAKE Linda Buckley-Archer Read by Gerard Doyle (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review
THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY Adam Rex Read by Bahni Turpin (Listening Library) Read Review
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John Scieszka, the first National Ambassador of Books for Young People and the mind behind Guys Read, tackles the thorny challenge of learning math in THE MATH CURSE. From AudioFile’s review: “‘The Math Curse’ is a curse every child can identify with—one through which life becomes one big math problem—getting dressed, going to school, eating lunch—you name it. Nancy Wu’s appealing and inquisitive narration complements the humor in the writing, captivating young listeners. The musical accompaniment is effective, and engaging sound effects enhance the story. Overall, music and narration come together to give life to the protagonist as she copes with letting numbers know who’s boss.” Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - MYSTERY & SUSPENSE
BURY YOUR DEAD Louise Penny Read by Ralph Cosham (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
FAITHFUL PLACE Tana French Read by Tim Gerard Reynolds (Recorded Books) Read Review
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST Stieg Larsson Read by Simon Vance (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
THE GLASS RAINBOW James Lee Burke Read by Will Patton (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review
MIDNIGHT HOUSE Alex Berenson Read by George Guidall (Penguin Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review
OUR KIND OF TRAITOR John le Carré Read by Robin Sachs (Penguin Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
PRESUMED INNOCENT Scott Turow Read by Edward Herrmann (Hachette Audio) Read Review
THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR Daniel Silva Read by Phil Gigante (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
61 HOURS Lee Child Read by Dick Hill (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
SPIES OF THE BALKANS Alan Furst Read by Daniel Gerroll (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review
THREE STATIONS Martin Cruz Smith Read by Ron McLarty (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review
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One of our favorite mysteries of the year also gave us a new narrator to watch. Tim Gerard Reynolds fully inhabits the character of undercover cop Frank Mackey, who is distanced from his family by personal conflict and returns to the Dublin neighborhood where he grew up and experiences the changes of time. “Fans of crime fiction should not miss this audiobook,” AudioFile’s review raves. “The cold case that brings Mackey home entwines the listeners with the emotions of young love and youth, the dreams of escape from dysfunctional families, and the harsh realities of dead-end lives. Reynolds delivers local Dublin accents and slang with astonishing skill. FAITHFUL PLACEis unstoppable. Read Review

Lee Child had two blockbuster thrillers released this year--61 HOURS and WORTH DYING FOR-—both Reacher thrillers, both narrated by Child’s longtime audio partner, Dick Hill. We maintain that audio is the way to experience this series: “Dick Hill has portrayed Reacher since the beginning. His spare narration style is a perfect fit for the man whose only possession is a folding toothbrush. Understatement is Reacher’s trademark—-until he gets jacked up with moral outrage, a not uncommon occurrence. That’s when the real power of Hill’s performance hits the listener. His passion and pacing deliver all the aggression, power, and good-guy sensitivity Reacher is known for.” Intrigued yet? Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - HISTORY & HISTORICAL FICTION
ATLANTIC Simon Winchester Read by Simon Winchester (Harper Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
BOARDWALK EMPIRE Nelson Johnson Read by Joe Mantegna (Audible, Inc./Brilliance Audio) Read Review
THE BURNING LAND Bernard Cornwell Read by Stephen Perring (Harper Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review
BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE Dee Brown Read by Grover Gardner (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
COLONEL ROOSEVELT Edmund Morris Read by Mark Deakins (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
GET CAPONE Jonathan Eig Read by Dick Hill (Tantor Media) Read Review
LAST CALL Daniel Okrent Read by Daniel Okrent (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review
THE RED QUEEN Philippa Gregory Read by Bianca Amato, Graeme Malcolm (Simon & Schuster Audio/Recorded Books) Read Review
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With this year’s COLONEL ROOSEVELT, Edmund Morris completes his celebrated Roosevelt trilogy, following THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1979, released in a new unabridged recording this year, also read by Mark Deakins) and THEODORE REX (2001). In the final biography, Morris focuses on Roosevelt’s family, his expeditions, and his spiritual beliefs, in addition to Roosevelt the politician. We love Deakins’s interpretation of Morris’s research and subject. “Mark Deakins’s rich, warm voice is clear and measured. His foreign pronunciations are careful. Overall, his narration supports Morris’s empathetic biography of this most straightforward yet enigmatic of men. Read Review

Great historical novels don’t come around as often as we’d like, which is why we’re excited that 2010 was such a banner year for audiobooks in this genre. Philippa Gregory’s THE RED QUEEN is a prime example, read by two skilled narrators. AudioFile’s review raves: “Bianca Amato expertly guides listeners through Margaret Beaufort’s turbulent life-—from reluctant bride (she was forced to marry four times) to the agony of childbirth to her seething jealousy of Elizabeth Woodville and her limitless ambitions for her son, Henry. As the War of the Roses rages (bloody battle scenes are read by Graeme Malcolm), Margaret’s fortunes rise and fall and rise again. Philippa Gregory is the queen of British historical fiction, and Amato’s performance in this second book in The Cousins War series is regal and riveting. Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - BIOGRAPHY & CULTURE
AT HOME Bill Bryson Read by Bill Bryson (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
THE BEAK OF THE FINCH Jonathan Weiner Read by Victor Bevine (Audible, Inc.) Read Review
BRIGHT-SIDED Barbara Ehrenreich Read by Kate Reading (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
EARTH (THE AUDIOBOOK) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Read by Jon Stewart et al. (Hachette Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS Dave Eggers Read by Dion Graham (Recorded Books) Read Review
NEVER CRY WOLF Farley Mowat Read by Adam Sims (Naxos AudioBooks) Read Review
OBAMA’S WARS Bob Woodward Read by Boyd Gaines (Simon & Schuster Audio) Read Review
THIS BOOK IS OVERDUE! Marilyn Johnson Read by Hillary Huber (Tantor Media) Read Review
TIGER John Vaillant Read by John Vaillant (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE Erin Arvedlund Read by Karen White (Tantor Media) Read Review
WASHINGTON Ron Chernow Read by Scott Brick (Penguin Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
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Author Bill Bryson is a familiar voice in listeners’ ears, and for years, he’s brought us along on his exploratory rambles. His latest, AT HOME, is “nothing less than a history of people’s search for comfort. Bryson fans will not be surprised at just how much humor he manages to wring out of inventions gone awry and mankind’s attempts to overcome cold, dark, unpleasant existences. Bryson has the perfect voice and attitude to deliver his own work. He never uses a plain word when he can come up with one that does a better job tickling our imaginations, and when he nails it, we hear it in the smile in his voice.” Read Review

Another book about George Washington? Emphatically, yes. Ron Chernow’s celebrated tome, WASHINGTON, shows how successful even weighty historical biographies can be on audio, given the capable care of the right narrator. “At 42 hours, the book could challenge the most interested listener,” AudioFile’s review says. “But Scott Brick pulls it off. His mellow voice is easy to listen to, and he varies it to add emphasis when needed and to break up the pace. The book as a whole is interesting, revealing, and clearly authoritative, and Brick’s reading is an excellent complement.” Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - AUTHOR-READ
THE COLOR PURPLE Alice Walker Read by Alice Walker (Recorded Books) Read Review
COMMITTED Elizabeth Gilbert Read by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
LIT Mary Karr Read by Mary Karr (Harper Audio) Read Review
MANHOOD FOR AMATEURS Michael Chabon Read by Michael Chabon (Harper Audio) Read Review
MEDIUM RAW Anthony Bourdain Read by Anthony Bourdain (Harper Audio) Read Review
THIS TIME TOGETHER Carol Burnett Read by Carol Burnett (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW Frank Delaney Read by Frank Delaney (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
WHY MY THIRD HUSBAND WILL BE A DOG Lisa Scottoline Read by Lisa Scottoline (Macmillan Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
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“Reading my own books on audio has an effect on the way I write,” Frank Delaney says. Delaney’s BBC radio training serves him well—narrating his own audiobooks, he uses his gentle, thoughtful voice to full effect. “The relationship between writer and reader is an intimacy between strangers, people who would never meet, and the relationship between the audiobook listener and the narrator of the audiobook is the same relationship.” With such regard for the art of the spoken word, it’s no surprise that Delaney’s reading of VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW is perfectly rendered as audio listening, a feast of hilarious, improbable details and memorable characters, all magically intimate and emotionally real. Delaney promises a new book in 2012—-we can’t wait to hear it! Read Review

Where we most often appreciate hearing an author’s own voice is in autobiographical accounts—the intimate experience of hearing authors sharing their own personal stories can make up for even a less-than-professional narration. Happily, Elizabeth Gilbert is warm and competent in the role of narrator. COMMITTED continues the story begun in EAT, PRAY, LOVE, and delivered in Gilbert’s friendly voice, it’s akin to a fascinating story shared with a friend over many cups of tea. Gilbert’s humor and acknowledgment of her own foibles come through clearly in her delivery, making her story easy for any listener to relate to. Read Review

How could anyone less than Carol Burnett herself do justice narrating her memoir,THIS TIME TOGETHER? AudioFile’s review raves: “One of the things Carol Burnett is famous for is her practice of ‘bumping up the lights’ in the TV studio and skillfully fielding candid and often-hilarious questions from her audience. Inspired by those moments, the award-winning comedian warmly presents engaging anecdotes from her personal life and career, ranging from her adolescence in Hollywood and early television and Broadway experiences to her TV successes, marriages, famous and infamous friends, and family. Burnett’s bright and engaging tone brings to life both funny and sometimes-strange experiences with Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, and her variety show cast, among others. As she tells stories about her remarkable life, this upbeat audio provides keen insights on an American treasure.” Read Review

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - YOUNG ADULT
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE Jacqueline Kelly Read by Natalie Ross (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
INCARCERON Catherine Fisher Read by Kim Mai Guest (Listening Library) Read Review
MOCKINGJAY Suzanne Collins Read by Carolyn McCormick (Scholastic Audiobooks) Read Review
REVOLUTION Jennifer Donnelly Read by Emily Janice Card, Emma Bering (Listening Library) Read Review
THE ROCK AND THE RIVER Kekla Magoon Read by Dion Graham (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
THE SISTERS RED Jackson Pearce Read by Erin Moon, Michal Friedman, Suzanne Toren (Hachette Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE Jandy Nelson Read by Julia Whelan (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
THE 10 PM QUESTION Kate De Goldi Read by Stig Wemyss (Bolinda Audio) Read Review
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON John Green, David Levithan Read by Macleod Andrews, Nick Podehl (Brilliance Audio) Read Review
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In Jennifer Donnelly’s historical novel,REVOLUTION, dual narrators Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering deliver an accomplished audio duet, portraying a variety of characters from different time periods and walks of life, including a contemporary 17-year-old girl, a 60-year-old French historian, a Middle Eastern rap singer, and plenty of French revolutionaries. Gabrielle de Cuir, who produced the audiobook, notes, “Emily has mastered both the intimacy and the larger storytelling skills of audiobook reading. She captures the wit and the tremendous pathos of this troubled teen. She’s amazing. There was considerable French to be conquered here, and she does it with aplomb. Emily herself is a skilled musician, and so the role of the guitar-playing Andi certainly resonated with her. Emma Bering, who reads the mirror role of Alexandrine, gives a spitfire performance as the young woman trapped in the French Terror.” Read Review and listen to an excerpt

BEST AUDIOBOOKS - MULTI-VOICE PRODUCTIONS
ENSEMBLE
BURNING CHROME William Gibson Read by Jonathan Davis, Dennis Holland, Kevin Pariseau, Victor Bevine, Jay Snyder, Brian Nishi, L.J. Ganser, Oliver Wyman, Marc Vietor (Audible, Inc.) Read Review
HOUSE RULES Jodi Picoult Read by Rich Orlow, Andy Paris, Nicole Poole, Mark Turetsky, Christopher Evan Welch (Recorded Books) Read Review
LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN Colum McCann Read by Richard Poe, Gerard Doyle, Carol Monda, Johanna Parker, Ramon de Ocampo, Chris Sorenson, Patricia Floyd (Recorded Books) Read Review
NOCTURNES Kazuo Ishiguro Read by Mark Bramhall, Kirby Heyborne, Lincoln Hoppe, Simon Vance (Random House Audio/Books on Tape) Read Review
ROOM Emma Donoghue Read by Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren (Hachette Audio) Read Review
THE SWAN THIEVES Elizabeth Kostova Read by Treat Williams, Anne Heche, Erin Cottrell, Sarah Zimmerman, John Lee (Hachette Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
THIS BOOK IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU Pseudonymous Bosch Read by Joshua Swanson, Cassandra Morris, Bryan Kennedy, Peter Kim, Suzanne Toren, Gabra Zackman, Robert Petkoff (Hachette Audio/AudioGO) Read Review
FULL CASTS
BRADBURY THIRTEEN Ray Bradbury Performed by Bryce Chamberlain, Coleman Creel, and a Full Cast (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
GOLDEN AGE STORIES SERIES L. Ron Hubbard Performed by a Full Cast (Galaxy Audio) Read Review
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF MICKEY SPILLANE’S MIKE HAMMER Mickey Spillane, Max Allan Collins Performed by Stacy Keach and a Full Cast (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
SAINT JOAN Bernard Shaw Performed by Amy Irving, Edward Herrmann, and a Full Cast (Blackstone Audiobooks) Read Review
THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES Molière Performed by William Brown, Kevin Fox, and a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works) Read Review
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS C.S. Lewis Performed by Andy Serkis, Geoffrey Palmer, and a Full Cast (Focus on the Family) Read Review
STARCLIMBER Kenneth Oppel Performed by David Kelly and the Full Cast Family (Full Cast Audio) Read Review
THE TIME MACHINE H.G. Wells Performed by Robert Glenister and a Full Cast (AudioGO) Read Review
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY John le Carré Performed by Simon Russell Beale and a Full Cast (AudioGO) Read Review
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L.A. Theatre Works’ audio theater collection spans everything from modern dramas to classic plays such as Molière’sSCHOOL FOR WIVES. With an all-star stable of Hollywood actors, including Mark Ruffalo, Edward Asner, Mary Stuart Masterson, Steven Weber, Richard Dreyfuss, and many, many more, LATW’s unique repertoire and performances are unequaled. “The entire cast brings an easy charm and decidedly American accent to Molière’s comedy,” AudioFile’s review said about School for Wives. “They excel at clearly communicating the meaning of Richard Wilbur’s rhymed-verse translation of the original French. A classic delight.” And just one of many delights that await listeners looking for outstanding theater performances on audio. Read Review

Who could have guessed that pulp fiction would make a comeback, finding new life in the form of delightfully over-the-top audio theater performances? Someone at Galaxy Audio obviously knew, because 150 stories later, the Golden Age Stories have been made enduring all over again. Jim Meskimen, who directed the audio dramas as well as acted in them, characterizes the appeal for everyone involved: “I know for a fact that all the actors who get a chance to perform the pulp stories by L. Ron Hubbard in front of a live audience think it’s a special and fun experience; there’s nothing like it. The audience response is always strong—they’re creating it along with you, and the stories are colorful and exciting. It’s a forgotten art form, but in its simplicity and immediacy it has a lot of power to entertain.” Read Review

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AudioFile's
Best Audiobooks of 2010