New Reviews by Title: A-D

In a marvelous performance, award-winning actor and LGBTQ+ activist Daniel Henning seamlessly provides all the voices, sounds (BEEP, BEEP, HONK, HONK), prompts, and stage directions in Andy Warhol's 1968 anti-story, anti-plot, anti-novel novel. Basically, a word-for-word transcript of tape recordings of various "24-hour conversations," gossip, and asides, the novel stars a... Read More

Actor David Duchovny's day job kept him from completing his Ph.D. in literature, but his poetry is full of allusions to his extensive education. In his own reading of his work, the poems come across as deeply personal and honest, sometimes too much so when they fall into self-indulgence. But his fans will learn much about his interior life from this collection. The performance... Read More

In this vivid short story, listeners meet 13-year-old Ravi during a summer in New Jersey in the 1960s. Even though the story is written in the third person, Fajer Al-Kaisi's use of a clear, deep voice for the narrative suggests an adult Ravi who is thinking back on a day in his youth that changed his life. For Ravi's remembered dialogue as a teen, Al-Kaisi uses a voice that is... Read More

Erin Bennett offers a compelling performance of this novel by Elin Hilderbrand, who's now writing with her daughter. Though Tiffin Academy has jumped up in the national rankings of private boarding schools, nothing really seems that any different there. As the school year begins, faculty and students are either discovering secrets or hiding them. This audiobook is a mystery... Read More

Jade Wheeler narrates the first book in the Claw Haven monster romance series. Stranded in a snowstorm, Luna is appalled by a small Alaskan town's lack of fancy accommodations. Surly innkeeper Oliver isn't fond of the rude woman who's invading his werewolf pack's space. But after drinking from a bottle of bonding wine, they're "werewolf married" until they can get a magical... Read More

Narrator Helen Day leads a full cast in this immersive audiobook. Young Skera and her sister, Lena, live under the thumb of a cruel priest in their medieval Norwegian village. When something unspeakable occurs, Skera is forced to flee into the woods. She meets the witch Valdalla and demands to learn the Old Ways but soon discovers the lessons could lead to disaster. This... Read More

Listeners will be riveted by narrator Atli Gunnarsson as he recounts the many trials and tribulations that await explorers who trek to the North Pole. In 1994, Erling Kagge made that journey using nothing but his skis. In a strong Nordic accent, Gunnarsson brings to life both Kagge's personal experience and those of the explorers who came before him. He transports listeners to... Read More

Three narrators guide listeners through a story that intertwines family drama, spiritual mystery, and scientific inquiry. In 2068 AD, another pandemic has Earth's inhabitants worried about the future of humanity. In response, the Centauri Project sends a scientist into the future, where he searches an empty wilderness for evidence of Earth's former population. Bradford... Read More

This audiobook by a British writer and ecologist is well served by Sebastian Humphreys's stage-worthy performance. The perils of capitalism throughout history and the expanding impact of today's technology are center stage in this erudite overview of how civilization and humanity are damaged by the pursuit of economic growth. Humphreys's dramatic skills never compete with the... Read More

Narrator Patrica Santomasso shines as the voices of a trio of women who were impregnated by the same deadbeat dad, Jason. They unite in solidarity and unexpected friendship. When Sandy finds co-parenting her daughter, Rosie, with Jason frustrating, she connects with Stephanie, the mother of Jason's oldest child. The two women bond over their shared experiences, discovering they... Read More

Greta Jung's narration quickly establishes the reasons for 17-year-old Korean American Winter Moon's sarcasm. Her tone becomes understandable when Winter's selfish, caustic mother comes into the picture. Jung also depicts Winter's tenderness toward her loving grandmother, Halmoni, and her heartbreak at Halmoni's death. These are only some of Jung's portrayals of complex... Read More

This author-narrated audiobook blends memories and poems with some mind-bending moments--as Elizabeth Gilbert talks with her late lover and converses with God. A practiced speaker, Gilbert performs this excruciatingly honest work with passion and restraint. The memoir is about addiction and how Gilbert healed after the death of her friend, lover, global-traveling companion, and... Read More

Pickleball is front and center in Spencer's latest audiobook, narrated by the excellent Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. Bex has been managing her family's struggling pickleball club since her mother's death. Niko, a pompous former tennis star, comes to town and immediately clashes with Bex. When a rival racquet club hosts a pickleball tournament, Bex and Niko put aside their differences... Read More

This audiobook is the first of a new cozy mystery series set on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The story, which revolves around the murder of an unlikable literary agent, is absorbing, and its gorgeous setting is a plus. The smooth, expressive voice of narrator Vanessa Daniels engages the listener and gives the characters much needed depth. Twenty-fiveyear-old Meg returns home... Read More

Amina AlTai teams up with Maria Shriver to deliver a compassionate personal growth audiobook that blends encouragement with practical strategies for self-improvement. Shriver's soothing narration pairs with AlTai's warm guidance as a mindset trainer to create an inviting tone for listeners who are navigating career setbacks. The audiobook highlights how social systems can shape... Read More

Shakira Shute's narration of a time-traveling ready-for-love witch should be listened to--if only for the internal dialogue between the witch, Thorn Scarhart, and her cat familiar, Bandit. When Thorn's potion brings her into the 21st century, listeners will delight in the slow reveal of her true motivation for doing so. Shute uses a low, sepulchral voice for Bandit, who... Read More

Kirby Heyborne narrates a cinematic fever dream in which five soldiers confronting the horrors of WWI stumble across a supernatural being. The audiobook has a unique structure consisting entirely of a single sentence relentlessly weaving poetic brutality with moral tension. Heyborne adeptly navigates the unusual rhythm of the format with a narration that maintains momentum... Read More

Renowned artist Andrew Wyeth grows from childhood to maturity in this audiobook. Listeners meet Andy in his father's art studio, then travel with him between coastal Maine and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, as he studies and paints neighbors, nature, and light. For a book about a painter, the narrative adapts well to an aural medium, concentrating on Wyeth's relationships and... Read More

The named cards in a tarot pack, the Major Arcana, come to life in this romantasy, deftly narrated by Anna Burnett. The illegal power to ink magical tarot cards lands Clara Graysword in a desolate prison cell. But when Prince Kaelis, the man Clara thinks killed her mother and disappeared her sister, shows up, Clara's life sentence turns into admission to the famed Arcana... Read More

Narrator Lee Osorio interweaves stories from different eras and countries in this science fiction audiobook. In 2018, Salvadoran American student Ana uses a device to view glimpses of alternate universes. She's also exploring her mysterious family history and her conflicting desires for her future. In the 1970s, revolutionaries Rafael and Neto, who is the uncle of Ana's... Read More

Dual narrations by Sophie Roberts and Justin Avoth make following this twisty historical confection an absolute treat. Roberts hits all the right notes for Hannah, who, when widowed by her husband's murder in eighteenth-century London, is left with a confectionary shop, mounting debt, and hostile suppliers who want her out of the business. Avoth embodies Devereaux, a... Read More

Anna Caputo gives a terrific performance of this memoir about growing up deaf in a hearing world. While author Rachel Kolb is accomplished--she was the first signing deaf person to become a Rhodes Scholar--her writing is down-to-earth and relatable. With an intelligent, empathetic intonation, Caputo imparts Kolb's life story, including the many adjustments she needed to make to... Read More

In 1971 Omaha, Helene and Evelyn meet as their children marry. Mia Barron's detached voice sets the scene and then, almost magically, transforms into women full of personality. Barron takes us back to the '40s and '60s, which molded the women, and forward from the '80s to the 2015s. As the women continue their rivalries, competing for attention and love, Barron gives each her... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld narrates this audiobook, which is part science fiction, part social commentary. Considered dangerous and inconvenient on their home planet, three giants--Alba, Stanley, and Drew--are forced into the largest room of a spaceship called AUDITION. If the three talk, the spaceship moves forward, but if they remain silent, they'll continue to grow and be crushed.... Read More

Martin Cahill narrates his fantasy novel about a young acolyte and her desperate struggle to find a divine chaperone. Nesi is a child of godly blood, which means she must impress at least one of the 99 animal deities in her temple in order to achieve her potential. After an impulsive prayer to T'sidaan, the Fox of Tricks, Nesi finds herself catapulted 300 years into the past,... Read More

Stephanie Németh-Parker's warm, conversational voice is spot-on for American actress Tess Bright, who is transported--along with her taciturn, disapproving costar, Hugh Balfour--to Jane Austen's England while filming a NORTHANGER ABBEY adaptation. Németh-Parker's narration is a liquid presence that conveys Tess's grief over her mother's death and her precarious career... Read More

Stefanie Powers delivers an exquisite, often thrilling, performance of this deeply researched and unvarnished history of Amelia Earhart. Listeners may be familiar with the basic outlines of Earhart's accomplishments as a pilot. This new audiobook provides a detailed picture of how Earhart, a social worker in the 1920s, became a skilled aviator. George Putnam, well known for... Read More

It's common in twentieth-century American fiction to decry the emptiness of middle-class life, and BABBITT has become the eponym of that theme. Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis is well served by narrator Adam Sims, who makes the shallow, hypocritical, money-grubbing George Babbitt more and more sympathetic as he learns--and struggles against--the limitations of his own nature.... Read More

Suzanne Toren's precise articulation and midrange timbre are well suited to the erudition displayed in Donna Leon's newest essays. Best known for her mysteries featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti of Venice, Leon has strong opinions and an interesting background. Toren, an AudioFile Golden Voice narrator, brings attentive pacing and a hint of a smile to Leon's excellent... Read More

Narrator Dan Bittner employs his skills to vastly improve Megan Greenwell's exposé on the impact of private equity firms on businesses in the healthcare, retail toys, apartment living, and journalism sectors. She uses four case studies to examine specific individuals' impacts and focuses on them over several timeframes. Bittner offers an optimistic, precise, and nuanced tone to... Read More

Narrator Marisa Calin transports listeners to London 1898. Disgraced spinster Lady Kay Matheson has plans to marry an American millionaire, Wilson Roycroft, when she encounters her former fiancé, Devlin Sharpe, the man who broke her heart. Devlin now has marriage plans of his own. Calin effectively contrasts Devlin's British accent and Wilson's American speech. Kay's finances... Read More

For more than 24 stunning hours, narrator Ron Butler immerses listeners in the world of writer James Baldwin. This detailed biography structures Baldwin's life around his greatest loves, the people who filled so many of his thoughts. Baldwin travels the globe and makes a name for himself as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, but he's always drawn back to the... Read More

Karen Cass narrates this charming audiobook, which combines rivalry and romance in a subtle nod to ROMEO AND JULIET. When Jules Caplethorne takes a leave from her publishing job to care for her Great-Aunt Flo and her bookshop, she becomes wrapped up in drama. The Caplethornes' longtime rivals, the Mountbeaus, have just opened up their own bookshop down the street. As Jules... Read More

Amy Cameron's performance of this story of a lighthouse keeper's daughter who saves a ship's passengers from drowning is inspiring, openhearted, and almost musical. Grace Darling's father manages a lighthouse off the coast of England in the early 1800s. In Cameron's capable hands, Grace's steadfastness is clearly apparent--she loves her lighthouse, her island, her family, and... Read More

Christopher Gebauer narrates this story of Orthodox Jewish Ezra, the Chosen One, who has trained his whole life for two things: Yeshiva study and defeating a monster upon his bar mitzvah to ensure an age of peace. But strange events leading up to that fateful day make him question his mission. Gebauer excels at the indignant tones and youthful energy of preteen boys. Some of... Read More

Anthologies are good for listeners who don't have long periods to devote to an audiobook. But that doesn't mean other audiophiles can't enjoy the pieces as well. This collection of essays on science and nature covers a wide array of topics, such as bird identification software and AI, the language of the land, and the question of whether animals know they will die. The articles... Read More

These annual collections of best short stories are a mixed bag, especially for audiobook listeners. Even before a cast is assembled, the preferences of that year's guest editor have determined how broad or narrow the range of voices, tones, and attitudes will need to be. The good news is that this year's cast is one of the better ensembles-- diverse but compatible, each... Read More

This highly agreeable audiobook presents an engaging plot and introduces multiple spritely characters brought to life by narrator Melissa Advani. An eclectic assemblage of elderly Brits is talked into moving to Bangalore, India, where eldercare is less expensive. They settle into the somewhat derelict Marigold Hotel, a remnant from the era of the Raj. Advani has a gift for... Read More

This rhyming picture book from the Questioneers series introduces Billie Jean Peet, a second-grader and middle child sandwiched between musically gifted siblings. Their father is equally talented. Narrator Jorjeana Marie begins the story in a singsong, saccharine tone indicating the carefree attitude and lack of self-awareness common to many small children. However, when Billie... Read More

Narrator Shahjehan Khan's measured pace works well in imparting the author's goal to find a way to predict the monsoons in his home country of India. Listeners are presented with a thorough and entertaining autobiography of a boy who was born in a village without a school, who, nonetheless, secured an education, followed by positions at NASA, MIT, and the organization that... Read More

This troubling audiobook captures a woman's descent into madness. Narrator Dana Aronowitz deserves credit for keeping listeners invested in a grim story and rooting for a woman who makes misstep after misstep. When film archivist Ellen Kramer, a closeted lesbian who is deeply repressed, becomes possessed by the creatures in a recently discovered movie from the WWII era, her... Read More

This Three Pines audiobook is narrated by Jean Brassard, whose exquisite Québécois accent nails the characters in Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series. Her previous novel, THE GREY WOLF, sets the stage for the stunning denouement that plays out here. It involves climate change, along with a border conflict, treason, and conspiracies. Brassard keeps the plot and its large cast... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator Michael Crouch faces the challenge of foregrounding a character who's most comfortable fading into the background. Ambrose, a young runaway vampire, has settled in with a small clan of vampires at Frankenstein Castle in Germany. He's torn between his clan leader's vision of a haven for vampires on the moon and his own dream of finding a cure for the curse... Read More

Narrator Adam Barr paints a vivid picture of this family saga with elements of suspense. Mild-mannered, cautiously ambitious lawyer Monty Atkins has never strayed very far outside the conventions of Charleston society. When a sudden act of violence sends his family into a tailspin, Monty draws on hidden reserves of strength and cunning to keep a further tragedy at bay. Barr... Read More

Listeners will be captivated by Reena Dutt's lively narration of this magical, action-packed adventure for middle graders. Dutt skillfully shifts between intrepid heroine Laila Habib's point of view and a robust cast of Indian and mythical Islamic characters, showcasing impressive vocal range. She vividly conveys the culturally rich world of Qaf, which is filled with jinn and... Read More

Lily Newmark's transcendent performance of Anna North's remarkable novel lingers long in the memory. Three narratives intersect--a young woman of Iron Age Briton begins her first year as village Druid during the start of Roman occupation; Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist, is asked to examine a 2,000-year-old body preserved in an English peat bog; and that of the peat... Read More

A tour-de-force performance by Gemma Whelan makes listening to this audiobook worthwhile. Jane Boleyn--Lady Rocheford--is a canny observer. She watches, she waits, she gathers information, and she reveals secrets to her spymaster, Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell then uses the damaging particulars against his enemies. Whelan portrays each character with enthusiasm, growling... Read More

Carlotta Brentan's narration is a master class in poignant storytelling. Gelfuso's novel, featuring an 11-year-old girl who is trapped in time space, is a thoughtful exploration of memory, grief, and the abuse of power. Her writing is clear, emotionally grounded, and well paced. The story unfolds with quiet intensity and engaging characters that keep the listener entranced.... Read More

Actor Charlie Sheen, son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of actor Emilio Estevez, offers an unusual, bizarre, and extremely convoluted series of brief recollections, espousing his life philosophies and perspectives and occasionally referencing semi-chronological actual experiences. Sheen's narration is professional, warm, well enunciated, sincere, and appealing. Listeners... Read More

This audiobook takes place in 1930s Madrid, where Barbara opens a bookstore that serves to defend beloved literature from the rising Nazi censorship spreading across Europe and the effects of the Spanish Civil War. Narrator Lauren Ezzo's crisp diction makes the story's digressions into complex historical politics easy to understand. In an era-appropriate touch, her narration... Read More

Five unique and equally compelling narrators come together to impart a glimpse of Atlanta's erotic dance scene in this gritty thriller. Two years ago, Lucky, a dancer, vanished from Boom Town, the most famous gentleman's club in the city. Before her disappearance, Lucky had been distancing herself from her lover, Lyriq, and spending time with a mysterious customer named Thomas.... Read More

A talented team of narrators shines a light on the lives and experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming people of color in this powerful audiobook. The anthology includes 17 stories of artists, activists, drag queens, scientists, and writers. Each selection is authentic and powerful, and brings a necessary perspective, given the current social and political climate... Read More

As author/narrator Sam Sussman's autobiographical novel begins, a son is summoned home from studying abroad. His mother meets him at the airport, physically and mentally ravaged from chemotherapy. In a voice pulsating with sincerity and reverence, Sussman has only questions. Why hadn't his mother told him the extent of her illness? Why had she left the big city for an... Read More

Mark Bramhall gives an excellent performance of this WWII story. Nina Willner weaves the lives of her father, Eddie Willner, and his Jewish family in Germany with the lives of several American GIs who saved his life at the end of the war. Her father and another companion were found by members of the 32nd Armored Regiment just before V-E Day. The two Germans assisted the GIs in... Read More

Narrator Shiromi Arserio lends her vocal talents to Katherine Faulkner's latest mystery. Alice, a wealthy mother living in London, is hosting a playdate for her child when an intruder enters. She kills him with a barstool in self-defense. Arserio gives Alice a soft yet dynamic tone and captures her intense curiosity about the young man she killed. She also wants to know why she... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator Michael Crouch brings his expert skills to this complex historical drama. While WWII still rages in the Pacific, a secret spanning generations begins in Bonhomie, Ohio. Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt, who are married to other people, share a kiss in a hardware store upon the news of victory over Germany, and this starts a massive trickle-down effect... Read More

Former FBI Director Irene Rivers is now living in West Virginia, where she finds herself embroiled in trouble. Her daughter is exhibiting at-risk behavior, and most of the police forces aren't on the up-and-up. Narrator Natalia Payne navigates this thriller well. Her varying of male and female voices is clear, with shifting tones fitting the characters. Irene's preteen nephew... Read More

Narrator Charles Constant is an excellent guide through this science work--clear, warm, and conversational. Rob Dunn delves into the multiple ways that two species can benefit each other, offering myriad examples of collaboration both large and microscopic. Constant seems as fascinated by the breadth of biological diversity as the author is. The mutualisms discussed range from... Read More

The wonderful delivery of Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Joel Richards saves this predictable yet still entertaining mystery. Morgan, portrayed by Nemeth-Parker, is near the breaking point as she cares for her mother and four-year-old twins. Hiring Dana, a relative stranger, to be her mother's live-in caregiver seems like the perfect solution. Problems begin when Morgan's mother... Read More

Author Ian Kelly brings both authority and warmth to his narration of his engaging look at the life and work of Antonin Carême, whom he bills as the first celebrity chef. Kelly lends an elegant rhythm to the historical details of Carême's rise from humble origins to renowned restaurateur. His steady pacing allows listeners to savor the richness of the early nineteenth century... Read More

Narrator Carly Robins returns listeners to the small town of Sweetbriar Ridge, where for the last three years Sloane Donovan has been kissing Will Campbell at the kissing booth that is part of the town's annual festival. Now she's tired of just kissing and wants to meet him. Will is just as eager to find out who she is. Robins successfully conveys Will's urgency and frustration... Read More

Regret, resentment, and hope are on the menu during a holiday train ride across Canada featuring multiple narrators. Lauren Irwin portrays Cali, who strives to reconcile with five estranged friends while heading to a Vancouver wedding. Ember, the bride's ex-girlfriend, portrayed by Nicola Barber, makes a thoughtful journey to exorcise regret. Siblings Joe and Joss (James... Read More

Anna Burnett narrates an unexpected reimagining of "Cinderella." After having been murdered at 16 by her stepmother, "Ella" now haunts her family home. Burnett deftly handles Ella's transition from a lonely girl to a lonely ghost. Burnett's portrayal of her longing and frustration is heartrending, especially as she confronts hard truths about herself and her family. Add a royal... Read More

A full cast of Native American performers take young listeners to a Cherokee stickball game. Most of the narrators are Cherokee, like author Traci Sorell, who delivers her concluding notes, and Zebadiah Nofire, who ably leads the narration and voices the glossary. The Keetoowah, Navajo, Kiowa, and Pawnee Nations are also represented by players, coach, and onlookers. The... Read More

Marni Penning brings cheerleader enthusiasm to this celebration of Claire McCardell, the pioneering early-twentieth-century American designer who thought women's clothes should be comfortable, as well as stylish. Maryland-born McCardell pioneered the kind of clothes we rely on today--ready-to-wear separates that can be mixed and matched into different outfits. She incorporated... Read More

This audio version of a 14th-century English classic provides instruction on using contemplative prayer to come to know God. While it deals in highly serious matters, its tone is earnestly friendly and supportive, though also serious and occasionally monitory. Nicholas Boulton mirrors these characteristics with his pleasant voice; smooth, clear delivery; and amiable manner. He... Read More

This audiobook sheds light on the hard work of the many scientists who accurately track and predict the weather. The audio production's bright spot is narrator Keith Brown, who has a pleasant and authoritative vocal style and wonderful pacing. Otherwise, the audiobook is often tedious due to a lack of vivid narrative bringing the scientists and their work to life. The chapters... Read More

With his easy wit and comfortable Irish lilt, Gerard Doyle is once again the go-to narrator for Mick Herron's bestselling Slough House series. It's business as usual in this ninth story, in which the "slow horses"--demoted and/or disgraced British intelligence officers--are once again left to stand down and watch their careers crumble. Instead, they take on the case in question... Read More

Guy Lockard narrates the final episode in the Track series. This time the story focuses on the formative years of Coach, who's been central to the young runners in the previous titles. Back in the day, Coach was Otie Brody, a 12-year-old sprinter who longed for two things: to be like Carl Lewis and to have a pair of Jordans. Problems small and big enter his life: First, Otie... Read More

This romantasy unfolds through alternating chapters featuring Brenda, portrayed by Elyse Dinh, and Kat, portrayed by Emily Woo Zeller. The two meet when Brenda is desperate to find a working internet to use to submit her scholarship application before the deadline and wanders into a coffee shop owned by Kat's family. The shop, it turns out, is in an alternate universe that is... Read More

Adenrele Ojo narrates this important history of Black women whose magic and spirituality permeates the roots of American culture. Blue jeans, pancake mix, and even Vicks VapoRub all have their origins in these "conjure women," but a culture of misogyny and racism capitalized on them, at the same time ignoring their sacred elements. From the lore of the goddess Oshun through... Read More

In a deep voice and an English accent, Cornell Collins narrates this romantic mystery. Aaron is a virtuous man, and that's a good trait for a detective sergeant in the Metropolitan Police. When his cousin's engagement is canceled after she seeks advice from another man, Aaron investigates. And after meeting handsome Joel, an impressively accurate handwriting analyst, his... Read More

Talented narrators, replete with diverse accents, dramatize Book 2 of the Amelia Peabody mystery series, featuring Egyptologist Amelia Peabody--wife, mother, and brilliantly clever archaeologist--and her husband, the intrepid archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson. Here they return to Egypt in 1892 to excavate a pharaoh's tomb and catch a murderer. Narrator Nanette Savard takes on the... Read More

Many listeners will recall Edoardo Ballerini's lucid narration of Stephen Greenblatt's 2013 audiobook, THE SWERVE. It was an inspired match between one of today's finest Renaissance scholars and one of the very finest audiobook narrators. Author and narrator match again in this insightful biography of Shakespeare's predecessor and early model, playwright Christopher Marlowe. In... Read More

Imogen Church demonstrates her superb narration skills in this fun mystery revolving around Jo Jones, an American who is settling into a new life in the north of England. Intending to uncover her English ancestors and their secrets, she rents a room in her home to a mysterious guest. When her policeman friend discovers the dead body of her guest, Jo can't help but get involved.... Read More

Heather Long provides a remarkable performance of this mystery. In 2003, a high school class is assigned to write letters to their future selves; 20 years later they receive them. Totally unexpectedly, one of the missives reveals a shocking secret about the earlier death of a classmate. That revelation leads another classmate, Miranda, to commit suicide--at least, that's how... Read More

Kirsten Leigh charms listeners with her impassioned portrayals of a pair of lovers: Iris, a budding blue-haired witch, and Meth, a bad-boy demon who swears up and down that he's reformed. Guiding listeners through the streets of wintry Montreal, Leigh brings the couple's tumultuous relationship to life. In scenes that range from spicy intimacy to battles with fearsome monsters,... Read More

Kristen Strong narrates her own work with the warmth and candor of a trusted friend, giving this guide to friendship and faith an authentic and deeply personal tone. Her voice carries the gentle authority of experience--balancing vulnerability and encouragement. Strong's conversational pacing makes the material approachable, especially when she shares personal anecdotes and... Read More

A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE reenactment vacation takes on deeper meaning with narration from Renee Dorian and Jamie Renell. Dorian captures Macey Bennet's excitement after she wins a trip to the immersive Pride and Prejudice Park in England. Renell voices Zane, who impulsively decides to join Macey at the park. They act out Austen scenes, meet other enthusiasts, and fall in love, all... Read More

This oral history of the Manhattan Project and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is dramatically made aural, thanks to the talents of some 30 narrators, plus the author. Like its predecessor, WHEN THE SEA CAME ALIVE, this audiobook features snippets of first-person accounts of those who lived the history. Artfully arranged into a cohesive whole, they vocalize the... Read More

Emily Sutton-Smith narrates a story of Auschwitz and the Nazi regime throughout Europe in a low, wistful tone without an accent. The novel features Rachael, a Jewish woman imprisoned in Auschwitz who finds a diamond ring in the mud, and Samual, a Jewish man living and working in Prague who is in love with a woman named Hanna. Sutton-Smith's slow-paced delivery portrays... Read More

Narrators Griffin Puatu and Shannon Scott convey a dystopian America after altered weather causes a climate disaster. Relatable, resourceful Nick and his younger sister, Lily, work to save themselves as Earth's atmosphere escapes into space, causing an oxygen shortage. Few people can go outside. It's captivating to hear Nick, Lily, and their friends use old-fashioned... Read More

Cindy Kay's smooth narration enhances the reflective quality of this story set in a mysterious library on the outskirts of Tokyo. Exasperated with her job as a bookseller in a chain bookshop, Otaha Higuchi gladly accepts an unusual position at a peculiar library--one that is open only at night, houses books only by deceased authors, and doesn't lend books out. A lightness in... Read More

Derek Shetterly is an excellent choice of narrator for this lively nonfiction title about contemporary trends in archaeology. His delivery strikes a balance between academic precision and engaging storytelling, making complex archaeological concepts sound accessible and immediate. There's subtle humor in his tone--just enough to draw listeners into the challenges and wonders of... Read More

Set in Madrid, Serrano's satirical look at modern marketing could have set its eyes upon San Francisco or London. British actress Emer Kenny's narration is distinctly English, and the translation seems pitch- perfect. She conveys Marisa's states of mind through tone and timing. Much of the story is conveyed through Marisa's inner monologue, which expresses how unhappy she is at... Read More

Nairobi-raised Junior Nyong'o brings vocal nuance to his narration of Kenyan author Patrick Ochieng's story of children dislocated by postelection violence. When the latest cycle claims his father's life, 14-year-old Kimathi; his little sister, Ngina; and their mother find themselves in a camp for internally displaced people. There Kimathi finds much hardship but also friends... Read More

Narrator Alexandra Hunter establishes an apathetic voice for 13- year-old Kass, who has switched from public school to a fancy private school in order to join the diving team and have better opportunities for academic success. Kass struggles to fit in at her new school and even starts questioning economic disparity and its causes when she meets 17-year-old Miles, who dumpster... Read More

Katie Koster is a high-energy narrator whose tightly enunciated delivery suits this novel's main character. Amy is at a crossroads. An avid advocate for animals, she channels her midlife feelings of loss and lack of direction toward joining the search for Angel, an internet-famous dog that is missing in Tbilisi, Georgia. As one might expect, the audiobook is full of accented... Read More

The author's readings tend to be understated--like his poems. With the exception of Mary Oliver's DOG SONGS, dogs have not been a major topic for American poets. Billy Collins helps to fill that gap with this audiobook, a series of poems about particular dogs. Collins obviously knows and has lived with dogs, and he knows the specific dogs about whom he writes, even if some of... Read More

Multiple narrators come together to create an audio portrait that is part biography, part celebration, and part theatrical tribute to author Douglas Adams, best known for THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Arvind Ethan David's clear, engaging presence guides listeners through reflections on the life and work of the singular humorist. Archival contributions from Douglas Adams... Read More

Narrators Samuel James, Billie Fulford-Brown, Imogen Wilde, and Johnny Heller provide accents ranging from British to Romanian to American in this tale of vampires and intrigue. The story is told through the journals and letters of the main characters. An appropriately British-accented Jonathan Harker arrives in Budapest, headed to Transylvania to meet the nobleman Count... Read More