New Reviews by Title: U-Z

Kevin R. Free's upbeat approach to this fun deep dive into the making of a dictionary adds to its charms. Well suited to word geeks, the audiobook explores the evolution of the modern dictionary while chronicling the author's stint as a lexicographer in training at Merriam-Webster. There, he encounters past and present word-mad professionals; learns the stringent, sometimes... Read More

Dr. Vonda Wright skillfully narrates her manifesto on unlocking the miraculous design of the body to challenge the biological time bombs of aging. Her mission is to help women achieve healthy longevity down to the cellular level. A renowned orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and health advocate, Dr. Wright brings her scientific and clinical expertise directly to listeners. Her... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw narrates this contemporary paranormal romance featuring a small-town Christmas with a vampire twist. Tiffenie Ruba is a 300-year-old vampire who desperately needs to get her life in order. When she unexpectedly inherits a bed-and-breakfast business in rural Vermont, she'll finally have the opportunity to live her Hallmark fantasies. However, she'll have to... Read More

Narrator Angel Pean brings to life this beautiful coming-of-age story written in verse. Jaelyn Coleman is 16 years old, and her world revolves around WestSide Roll, a roller skating rink in her community. Her parents met there, and they're the ones who taught her to skate. Her friendships are tied to skating. Her community remains linked because of the music, history, and... Read More

Mitch Crawford narrates this nonfiction account of the Fountain Grove utopian community in California in the late 1800s. Run by minister, spiritualist, and poet Thomas Lake Harris, the community went through a large public scandal involving gender, race, and sexual mores. As a result, it was dubbed the first "cult"--and Harris the first "cult leader." Crawford narrates with a... Read More

Actor Tim Curry narrates his memoir recounting five decades of his work on stage, screen, and television. Curry's early life gave him the "heart of a vagabond," a path he's continued throughout a diversity of famed roles. As only he can, Curry gives detailed views of his legendary parts in movies such as THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and SPAMALOT. His narration conveys his... Read More

Listeners will enjoy an enemies-to-lovers romance as grumpy Parker Harris repeatedly meets Amy Gibson at singles events. Amy remains determined to find herself a boyfriend despite a series of awkward encounters and first dates from which the cynical Parker ends up rescuing her. Vanessa Moyen and Lee Samuels shine at portraying the pair as they maintain their distance while... Read More

Narrators Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove return to the North Carolina/Tennessee town of Rocky Start, where most of the inhabitants are former spies. Max Reddy, also a former operative, had been hiking the trail when he stopped in Rocky Start and formed a relationship with Rose Malone. Dukehart portrays Rose and her daughter, Poppy, while Dove portrays Max. Max wants to get back... Read More

M.L. Sanchez introduces listeners to Wanda, a real-life Puerto Rican child who, after seeing the magic of the stars on a fishing trip, grows up to be an astrophysicist. She goes to college but, tragically, loses her vision to diabetes. Wanda's determination and dedication, along with her friends and assistants, are rivetingly portrayed by Sanchez. The moment that a friend... Read More

This extensive, thoughtful, and well-researched biography of the martial arts great Bruce Lee smoothly draws the listener in. Lee was an enigma in some ways, and author Chang has captured his life, which was cut short at age 32. Narrator James Chen deftly uses slight shifts in his voice when delivering quotes. He maintains control of his tone, making shifts when appropriate but... Read More

Narrator Kathleen Early delivers a consummate performance of this complex crime novel, skillfully voicing every character--ranging from a sulky teen to a swaggering drunk--with distinction. Early's nuanced portrayals anchor the story, which introduces Deputy Emmy Clifton and her legendary North Falls family. The mystery begins with the disappearance of two teenagers during a... Read More

As Mona Awad returns to the dark academia of her cult classic, BUNNY, Sophie Amoss artfully handles the challenging narration. The plot unfolds mostly through monologue and dialogue. Amoss gives specific tones and styles to "the Bunnies," the quartet of entitled MFA students who are holding fellow former grad student Samantha captive because of the way she portrayed them in her... Read More

In this clear, conversational, and often humorous retelling of Greek myths, Elizabeth Klett delivers Hera's chapters and Christian Black delivers those of Heracles. Together, they accentuate the intrigue, backstabbing, and good old-fashioned sex and violence in the stories. Hera, wife of Zeus, was one of the most powerful and ill-tempered gods on Mount Olympus. With her... Read More

Narrator Carlotta Brentan skillfully voices all the characters in this audiobook. As Cath goes through her late mother's effects, she discovers two nonrefundable tickets to a fake murder week in a quaint English town. She decides to go alone to discover why her mother wanted her to attend. Brentan demonstrates talent at both English and American accents. During her stay, Cath... Read More

VyVy Nguyen delivers a powerful performance of this coming-of-age horror novel. Fourteen-year-old "Ronny" Nguyen's brother, Tommy, the pride of their Vietnamese immigrant parents, will soon be the first in their family to go to college. When Tommy dies in a car accident, the family is devastated. Ronny's world further collapses when she's sexually assaulted at a party. When she... Read More

Narrator Skye Alley introduces talented poet Fred, know-it-all Luisa, and monster-loving Drake, who've been chosen to write their school's holiday play. Adding to the pressure--and honor--Luisa's Uncle Reyes, a playwright, will assist. Alley's best creation, Fred, wants their play to illustrate the darkness of the winter season. As his writing partners reluctantly agree, they... Read More

Fred Sanders delivers this audiobook about metacognition with a perfect balance of erudition and approachability. Psychology professor Pinker describes how we understand our thoughts and how we know what others are thinking. To frame this discussion, he evokes the classic moment from the '90s television show "Friends," the one in which Phoebe realizes "they don't know we know... Read More

If you associate the Jane Austen you learned about in school with the words "prim" and "proper," then you need to listen to what one of the leading scholars of Austen's work has to say about the famous writer. This audiobook, which covers Austen's full body of work--the early short stories, as well as the published novels--adds greatly to the existing literature around the... Read More

This audiobook, narrated by Aja Naomi King, Ashley Nicole Black, and author Angela Flournoy, follows five young women over two decades as they navigate the uncertainty of early adulthood in New York City and Los Angeles. Desiree, Danielle, Nakia, Monique, and January are all dealing with grief, love, loss, and race amid the turbulent backdrop of the George Floyd demonstrations... Read More

Laura Knight Keating captures every nuance--both human and doll--in this contemporary yet old-fashioned fantasy. In front of a dollhouse shop, lonely, 11-year-old Tiph captures and returns a runaway dog to its elderly Hungarian owner, Nene (Aunt) Szilvia. Spunky Tiph and Nene are Keating's standout characters, with Nene's stunning voice and accent making every appearance a... Read More

Emily Pike Stewart's performance evokes the misty hollers of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Private investigator Annie Gore takes on a cold case in a rural Appalachian town. Ten years earlier, three girls vanished; apple head dolls were left in their place. As Annie questions the local townsfolk, she begins to suspect that whoever took the girls may still be... Read More

The lives of four women change course on Halloween when a dead body is found nearby in DeCarolis's story of deceit and abuse, deftly narrated by January LaVoy. Each woman has a secret that must be protected at all costs. LaVoy captures the apprehension that newlywed Hannah feels when she receives threatening notes in the mail. After Georgina takes Hannah under her wing, LaVoy... Read More

Kirsten Potter's resonant narrative voice guides listeners safely through the red herrings of Carol Goodman's locked-room mystery set on an isolated Greek island. A group of writers has reconvened on the island 15 years after their first traumatic meeting. Their apparently AWOL host has set in motion dangerous events with which the group copes as its members navigate their... Read More

Horror in the form of an alien invasion and a bug infestation is compelling and dramatic in this audiobook, and Max Meyers does an excellent job of narrating without overdoing it. Their tone and pacing allow the suspense to build naturally, even during frequent scenes of horror. Their voices are appropriately differentiated as they deliver dialogue and action, and they navigate... Read More

This graphic audiobook is not for the tenderhearted. Dion Graham narrates the account of one of the most horrific incidents to occur during the Atlantic slave trade. The ZORG was a Dutch ship that was captured by British privateers off the coast of West Africa and then sent to Jamaica in 1781. As contagious illness swept through the crew and the 244 enslaved people aboard, a... Read More