February 2025 Earphones Award Winners

This outstanding audio collection begins with a thought-provoking introduction by editor Wesley Morris in which he discusses the struggle over what individuals and societies can think. The narrators take turns delivering the 22 works originally featured in publications such as HARPER'S MAGAZINE, THE ATLANTIC, and THE NEW YORKER. One standout is "Jenisha from Kentucky." Jeanette... Read More

Renée Watson narrates her semiautobiographical collection of free-verse and short-form poems, which introduce listeners to the lyricism of her writing. Her delivery features repeated rhythmic patterns, haunting repetitions, and startling imagery. Race, class, and gender are eloquently rendered in poems on possibility, resilience, celebration, and the power of womanhood. Topics... Read More

Eve Dallas has trouble finding out who Giovanni Rossi really was, why he was killed, and how. Susan Ericksen's portrayal of the tough-as-nails Dallas proves she hasn't lost her appetite for this futuristic suspense series. She projects Dallas as her snippy, sarcastic self. And now her family is being threatened. Her husband's majordomo, Summerset, alongside Giovanni, were two... Read More

This centennial collection of NEW YORKER stories will undoubtedly lead this year's lists of prestigious audiobooks--and deservedly so. With a roster of enduring authors and stories and a cast expertly matched to the voice and character of each story, this is an unparalleled listening experience, and a hallmark of good casting and production values. Twenty narrators are... Read More

A duet narration by Mary Jane Wells and Patrick Zeller as tennis doubles partners Scottie Sinclair and Nico Kotas is double the fun for listeners. Wells digs into Scottie's fall from grace after a Wimbledon win and her personal struggles over her worldwide notoriety. Wells manages to craft Scottie's persona as spunky yet traumatized; she reveals a deep sense of fairness... Read More

Hanako Footman's narration is as warm and delicious as the meals at the Chibineko Kitchen. Four intertwined stories revolve around Kotoko, a young woman, and Kai, the thoughtful chef who works at the small restaurant with its resident cat, located in a remote Japanese seaside village. Chibineko Kitchen serves remembrance meals rumored to have a mystical ability to summon... Read More

Liz Femi is the primary narrator of this meta-narrative about a paraplegic Nigerian American woman and her unexpected rise to fame. Suddenly unemployed, Zelu risks writing a novel unlike any she's ever written before, a futuristic sci-fi epic about androids who exist after humanity becomes extinct. Femi carefully adjusts the strength of her Nigerian accent while voicing Zelu's... Read More

Many of Mary Oliver's poems are about God or nature, and sometimes it's difficult to find the line between them. Her world was full of many delights and, had she lived to hear them, Kimberly Farr's interpretations of her poems would have been among them. There is some melancholy in this collection--although not much--and Farr's marvelous vocal talents bring that out as much as... Read More

Katie Koster will charm a wide audience with this fun romantic performance. Wordle enthusiast Emily daydreams at her dead-end job as a receptionist at a car shop. When her car's alternator dies, her co-worker, John, comes to her rescue, and the bland mechanic suddenly becomes interesting when he shares his own enjoyment of Wordle. Koster offers an authentic narration of this... Read More

Katie Koster will charm a wide audience with this fun romantic performance. Wordle enthusiast Emily daydreams at her dead-end job as a receptionist at a car shop. When her car's alternator dies, her co-worker, John, comes to her rescue, and the bland mechanic suddenly becomes interesting when he shares his own enjoyment of Wordle. Koster offers an authentic narration of this... Read More

Add "outstanding audiobook narrator" to Brown's impressive resumé. He is, after all, a Food Network personality, a cookbook author, and an avid food science researcher. Given his long-running gigs on "Iron Chef" and "Good Eats," along with his work as a pitchman for GE, it's no surprise that he performs his "essays and ruminations" smoothly and wittily. His range of interests... Read More

Golden Voice January LaVoy clearly differentiates the many characters in this story and smoothly transitions among them. She gives the deepest portrayals of the two main characters and their developing relationship: sullen, angry 14-year-old Ruby, who is accused of murder and is facing being moved to an adult women's prison, and compassionate Cadence Ware, the calm social... Read More

Narrators Victoria Connolly and Jason Clarke enchant listeners in this heartfelt contemporary romance. Millie loves her job as an entomology curator at a museum; now she has the opportunity to interview for the position of department director. Finn is learning how to handle his job at the museum while raising his nieces after the death of his sister. These two may need each... Read More

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith narrates an immersive fantasy set in post-WWII London. When Dennis Knuckleyard suddenly and violently learns there is a second London alongside the one he knows, it causes his entire worldview to reshape itself. Holdbrook-Smith depicts Dennis as naïve and somewhat feckless, mostly harmless, and truly out of his depth. The vast scope of characters Dennis... Read More

Narrator Robin Miles doesn't miss a nuance in this passionate fictionalization of Jessie Redmon Fauset's life (18821961). W.E.B. Du Bois, founder and editor of the NAACP's magazine THE CRISIS, hired Fauset as literary editor, a prestigious appointment unheard of for a woman, particularly a Black woman, in her time. Fauset's unprecedented work finding and first publishing... Read More

Brian Nishii, who was born and raised in Tokyo, is the perfect voice to narrate these eyewitness accounts of the bombing of Hiroshima. This volume is the first of a two-volume series on the atomic bombings of August 1945. Drawing on extensive interviews with those who survived, called "hibakusha" in Japanese, author Sheftall gives great detail on the day-to-day lives of the... Read More

Narrators Katharine Chin and Kenneth Lee captivate with this 60-year saga. Childhood sweethearts Haiwen and Suchi grow up in the same Shanghai neighborhood before being torn apart by war and time. Suchi's perspective, narrated by Chin, moves forward in time, while Haiwen's, narrated by Lee, moves backward. Chin's voice is warm and emotive, capturing Suchi's personality as she... Read More

Every second of this dynamic production--from the bouncing notes of the opening theme to the last snapped finger--creates a musical soundscape. Narrator Karen Murray's sweet and steady tones guide the listener through a history of Black music told in rolling lines of poetry. Murray moves seamlessly from the talking drums of Africa through the origins of the blues, jazz, funk,... Read More

Narrator Alexander Skarsgard provides the ideal voice for this audiobook. Just as one settles in with what seems like a typical Western, something occurs that reveals there's nothing typical about it. Hakan, a reserved Swede of intimidating size, must navigate a strange country where dangers abound. Skarsgard's gentle tone suggests an innocence glowing halo-like over Hakan. At... Read More

Narrator JD Jackson delivers a stirring performance of this cathartic companion to Daniel Black's DON'T CRY FOR ME. Isaac, a young, queer Black man, undertakes therapy for help processing his emotions following the death of his father. His therapist encourages him to write down his life story to help him unpack its difficult circumstances. Jackson moves listeners with his raw... Read More

Listeners are given a well-rounded portrait of the leading figure in the Civil Rights movement, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King--fleshed out by fascinating and coherent accounts of the events of the day and the people around him. Dion Graham masterfully portrays the voices and emotions of Dr. King's orations; Coretta King's softer, lighter speech; and the racist attitudes... Read More

This fantastic ensemble of narrators excel equally at emotionally connecting to complicated emotional characters, elevating colloquial language, and enhancing mysterious, violent horrors. Kristolyn Lloyd portrays 25-year-old Calla as she struggles to hold her life together while raising her troubled 16-year-old brother, Jamie. Portrayed by Zeno Robinson, Jamie is reckless and... Read More

Australian philosopher of science Peter Godfrey-Smith narrates this history of life on earth from its beginnings to the present, going on to explore possibilities for the directions life may take in the future. In a light Australian accent, Godfrey-Smith presents theories of evolution, mind, and connectedness and consciousness. His narration is down-to-earth and comfortable yet... Read More

Listening to this history of the 1850s competition to decipher ancient Mesopotamian inscriptions is like listening to a Jules Verne or Conan Doyle adventure yarn. Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies is a familiar voice in mystery and suspense fiction, and he clearly relishes what is not a musty story of scholarly reflection, but a cliff-hanger full of surprises and unexpected twists.... Read More

Khaya Fraites and Emily Lawrence give spirited performances in this introduction to a rich duology based on Finnish fantasy. Aina and Siiri have been separated by the death gods as they work to survive a very harsh winter. Aina is sent to endure Tuonela, the underworld, and Siiri travels to save her. Both women embark on challenging trials, and Fraites and Lawrence depict them... Read More

Kudos to the author, publisher, and narrator of this audiobook. Author Ewing delivers her introduction, which sets up the arguments. She then turns the body of the text over to Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles. Miles is a gifted performer whose tone, tempo, and cadence enhance the dark truths of this provocative work on the failure of our educational system. Ewing, who is a... Read More

Like chef José Andrés, the subject of this picture-book biography, this audiobook is the perfect blend of excellent ingredients. Soft Spanish guitar throughout reflects Andrés's background. Sound effects like sizzling dishes accent events in Andrés's life. Luis Carlos de La Lombana's narration has an emotional tone that encourages listening. He combines a skillful integration... Read More

Narrator Genevieve Swallow, with her charming New Zealand accent, returns to immerse listeners in the private and professional life of Detective Sam Shepherd. In this sixth installment, Sam returns from maternity leave to take on a 25-year-old murder case. Sam stirs up trouble as she uncovers well-intentioned lies, making things particularly uncomfortable for her boss. Swallow... Read More

Jay Myers and Alex Sarrigeorgiou keep listeners hooked throughout this haunting novel. Psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd is faced with a perplexing case. His newest patient, Jane O., normally can recall every detail from the events of her life. However, she cannot remember what happened in the previous 25 hours, after having blacked out. The mysterious story unfolds through Dr.... Read More

Malachy Tallack delivers a mesmerizing performance of this poignant meditation on life and the choices we make. Sixty-something Jack Paton is satisfied with his existence in the Shetlands. Life is uncomplicated--until he discovers a kitten on his doorstep. Tallack's deeply emotive narration is both calm and soul stirring as it brings out the beauty and isolation of Jack's... Read More

A trio of narrators portray teens from different eras and settings. January LaVoy transitions smoothly from the accented dialogue of Hanna and Sophie, two Polish teens, to an unstressed voicing of their risk-taking amid Hitler's threats in 1939. Jeremy Carlisle Parker transitions listeners to 1980 West Berlin, where Jenny adjusts to her family's move from Dallas. Parker also... Read More

Megan Tooley and Ussani Taylor deliver moving performances of Amanda Peters's short stories, which explore the Indigenous experience throughout American history. Peters, author of THE BERRY PICKERS, writes about such disparate people as a girl who is witnessing the arrival of the first white settlers and a boy who is struggling in a Christian boarding school. Tooley performs... Read More

Susanna Clarke's spellbinding performance of this enhanced audiobook brings out the alluring beauty of this mystical tale. Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is most at home when she's walking in the woods with her dogs and Apple, her pig. Evocative sound effects and music add to Clarke's haunting narration, highlighting Merowdis's deep connection to nature as she engages with the... Read More