New Reviews by Title: U-Z

The author has compiled oral histories of minor league ballplayers from the 1960s and '70s who didn't make the big time due, in part, to systemic racism. Bill Andrew Quinn's deep voice has a serious tone that is appropriate for these stories. Each ballplayer details specific instances of how managers and owners kept them down through unfulfilled promises. Quinn keeps his speech... Read More

London's historical Bethnal Green Library comes to life as the WWII Blitz turns every day into a fight for survival. Fenella Woolgar narrates with a comforting British accent, immersing the listener in the stories of three courageous women who are dedicated to the library and its community. Juliet Lansdown, the newly arrived deputy librarian, speaks with determination as she... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella brings heaps of charm to her narration of this engaging fantasy romance. Twyla and Frank have been neighbors, then best friends, then partners in the Marshals, where they spent eight years patrolling the dangerous Tanrian world together. Now peril, dragons, and a handsome dracologist with eyes for Twyla have them examining their friendship in a new light.... Read More

Doris Kearns Goodwin's voice is well known from TV appearances; not surprisingly, her narration comes across as thoughtful and familiar. Bryan Cranston's role is minimal. The use of snippets of speeches from John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Robert Kennedy add to the authenticity of the presentation. This is a kind of oral history of the 1960s told through the unique lens of... Read More

This audiobook, narrated by Zura Johnson and Zachary Johnson, is a captivating fantasy romance. A human servant named Lieke is forced into a fake engagement with Prince Connor after she accidentally kills a fae noble. Because the story is set in a war-torn world, they must navigate political tensions and personal desires in addition to their deceptive alliance. The slow-burn... Read More

O'Donnell is arguably at the forefront of contemporary historians of America's special forces, and this well-written account of the mostly unknown Civil War irregulars is superbly read by Fred Sanders. The history shows how effective both sides' irregulars were and how their actions and legacy were an inspiration for the formation of American Special Operations in WWII. The... Read More

Christine Lakin captures Ellery Wainwright's unsteady state of mind so effectively that the tension in this mystery builds exponentially. Ellery finds herself alone at an exotic Big Sur resort after her husband leaves her. As she struggles through her major life change, she finds herself embroiled in a possible murder. When a major storm rolls in, the guests are cut off from... Read More

January LaVoy's narration highlights all the drama in this corporate thriller with finesse. Her dynamic performance brings Caitlin Levy, newest associate at the tech start-up Aurora, to life. When a colleague goes missing during the firm's fancy retreat, Caitlin must weigh her impressive salary against the company's hidden politics. LaVoy's skillful pacing and intonation... Read More

This is the latest of the classic works by Joseph Conrad ably narrated by David Horovitch. This 1915 work, relatively unknown, concerns a drifter named Axel Heyst who runs a coal company on a remote island in the Malay Archipelago and his relationship with an English girl. He saves her from her employer, and then she saves Heyst from himself. There is quite a bit of... Read More

Brian Nishii narrates this science fiction collection, which contains compelling short stories, articles, and interviews by and with the author. Nishii draws listeners into the various fictional stories with his emotional range. In one story, he delivers the evil laugh of a drug lord who is smuggling drugs with the assistance of a whale; in another, he embodies a child who... Read More

Myriam J.A.Chancy's complex story looks at the fallout from colonialism, family secrets, class, and racism on the split island of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Golden Voice Robin Miles does a good job of putting listeners on the island as schoolgirls Gertie and Sisi become best friends in 1940s Port-au-Prince in spite of their very different class and family standings.... Read More

Retired U.S. Appellate Court Judge and esteemed civil rights attorney David S. Tatel's affecting memoir of blindness is a powerful listen. In his introduction, which Tatel narrates, listeners can sense the spectrum of emotions he describes. For anyone who has experienced vision loss, or knows someone who has, Tatel's story provides invaluable guidance on adaptations and... Read More

Narrator Justine Eyre returns to 1830s London in Book 2 of the Once Upon the East End series. She brings a seasoned flair for accents to the large cast of this novel, a gender-flipped retelling of "Snow White." When Jewish pawnshop owner Hannah Moses rescues Jewish financier Solomon Weiss, she's tempted to explore her attraction to him. But as the daughter of criminals, she... Read More

Linda Jones narrates this classic memoir with compassion and authenticity. Some of its quirky observations haven't worn well with the passage of time and may turn off some contemporary listeners. But Jones adds emphasis and a playful tone to Thoreau's list of budget items and explanation that he is a squatter on his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson's farm. First published in 1854,... Read More

Listeners can sense the excitement, awe, and frustration in the author's chronicle of his "walk" through the Grand Canyon. Kevin Fedarko does double duty as author and narrator, and his narration adds notes of authenticity to the production. His voice is clear and pleasant, and he changes things up to fit particular passages. For instance, he increases his pace slightly as he... Read More

Narrator Linda Jones narrates three of the most beloved talks of transcendentalist legend Henry David Thoreau in this new audiobook collection. Reflecting on the importance of experiencing the transformative beauty of walking and exploring the natural world, the three talks in this audiobook highlight Thoreau's fascination with the contemplative life. The works include warnings... Read More

Narrator Carly Robins returns listeners to the small town of Sweetbriar Ridge and the romance between kindergarten teacher Chloe Donovan and former champion skier Tanner Westyn. Due to the growth of the town, Tanner is hired to be an additional kindergarten teacher. He is determined to be teacher of the year, an award that has been Chloe's for two years running. Robins... Read More

This audiobook pays tribute to two of the wealthiest and most generous entrepreneurs in the U.S., Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. The long friendship between Warren and Bill, as they're called here, offers little drama and narrative tension, and narrator George Newbern effectively keeps the tone light, buddy-to-buddy. He chronicles how each man made his fortune, but the focus is... Read More

This contemporary middle-grade fairy tale is given a lively performance by Jeanette Illidge. Chloe returns home during an intense storm to find her house suddenly filled with fairy-tale creatures. They enlist Chloe and her father's help to locate a magical portal back to their home. Chloe and her dad need to work out their differences as they embark on the quest. Illidge is... Read More

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was a German American philosopher. An outspoken opponent of totalitarianism, she has a fascinating story, superbly told here by narrator Cosima Shaw. At its core, this is a biography, but it is also an explanation of Arendt's passion and the reasons her beliefs are as relevant today as they were when she lived. Her conviction was bolstered by her... Read More

In this middle-grade novel set in 1985, Stevie is on summer tour with a lip-syncing group. Jorjeana Marie is immediately likable as the youthful narrator of Stevie's first-person account. Marie shows Stevie's many sides with ease--stumbling and nervous around her crush, decisive and assured when her brother's epilepsy becomes an issue, and, finally, happily confident after a... Read More

Lindsey Dorcus depicts a teen romance between a newspaper nerd and a volleyball jock. When Jordan Elliott is given the volleyball beat for her school newspaper, she's devastated--not least because her nemesis, Mackenzie West, is captain of the volleyball team. Dorcus captures all the conflicting feelings that Jordan has about her unwanted assignment and about working closely... Read More

In this darkly comic novel, Kristen Sieh and Justis Bolding work together to capture the love between two sisters, as well as one sister's deep feelings of profound loss when the other dies. Sleh brings raw and authentic emotional depth to Kit's struggles with denial and grief at the death of her sister, Julie. Bolding complements these with a vibrant portrayal of Julie in... Read More

Carlotta Brentan narrates this story of three friends, Ava, Madison, and Chelsea, who met in college. But their friendship was torn apart. Now they're coming together again for a wedding in Lake Como, Italy. Starting in the present when the three are still estranged, the story shifts to the past to show how they met and what led to the breakup. As events unfold from Madison's... Read More

Helen Laser gives a nuanced performance of this audiobook about an unlikely friendship between two women. On the cusp of 40, Phoebe is divorced, infertile, stalled in her academic career, and her beloved cat has died. She goes to an exclusive Newport, Rhode Island, resort, where she is the only guest who is not there for a wedding. In the elevator, she meets Lila, the bride,... Read More

Gwyneth Keyworth's nuanced portrayal of Manod reveals the 18-year-old's transformative journey in this haunting story, set in 1938. Keyworth smoothly transports listeners to an isolated Welsh island and evokes the poignant interactions between Manod, a local, and the English couple, both ethnologists, who arrive to study the villagers' traditional ways. Dyfrig Morris, Gabrielle... Read More

Narrator Dara Brown's performance--full of foreboding--will have listeners questioning everything in this twisty thriller. Rookie PI Bailey Meadows goes undercover at an isolated Topanga Canyon writing retreat to find a missing woman. Brown channels Bailey's anxiety as she navigates the harsh landscape and tight-lipped canyon community. Bailey must also investigate her host,... Read More

An ensemble of outstanding narrators breathes terror into this stand-alone thriller focused on the disappearance of college student Nina Fraser. When Nina fails to return home from a vacation with her boyfriend, Simon Jordan, the stories, lies, and the demonic use of social media create a dark hole that listeners will fall into. Listeners hear from each of the main characters... Read More

With an evident love of language and a deft ear for biting humor, Clare Corbett has a field day narrating this delightfully inventive 1918 social satire, which savages eugenics, education, bureaucracy, and gender roles, among other hot topics of the early twentieth century. The premise is simple: To avoid the disaster of another Great War (WWI) the "Ministry of Brains" is... Read More

Joniece Abbott-Pratt gives a dramatic performance of this flawed but interesting social issue drama. Her remarkably beautiful voice makes a sympathetic vehicle for the heroine, Deena Wood, a young, Black lawyer who has come home to Brunswick, Georgia, to nurse her wounds after a series of personal disasters. Deena's growing obsession with an old man's strange disappearance... Read More

Ami Park's facility with Korean weaves through this story of Jackie Oh, a Korean American teen whose primary languages are sarcasm and the culinary arts. Park's tonal changes capture joy and warmth as Jackie views cooking shows on TV with her grandparents and works in their deli. In contrast, Park evokes Jackie's parents' continual pressure for high academic achievement, which... Read More

Helen Laser, James Fouhey, and Tim Campbell narrate a dark fantasy novella about a trio seeking an audience with the legendary witch Baba Jaga. Dymitr offers to cure Ala--a zmora suffering from a fatal curse--in exchange for help entreating Baba Jaja, who famously doesn't take kindly to humans. Laser, Fouhey, and Campbell breathe life into the three who are hoping to talk to... Read More

Narrator DeWanda Wise shares Kaliya Wilson's rise from frustrated desk worker to production assistant for director Danny Prescott's historical film on school desegregation. Wise's mellifluous narration style and Ariel's first-person point of view bring listeners into Kaliya's story, especially her past romance with Danny and her doubts about their current interactions. Her... Read More

Mara Wilson offers a graceful performance of Hoffman's fictionalized account of Anne Frank's life before her family went into hiding. In a clear, warm tone, Wilson describes a young Anne, who is passionate about writing and infectiously high-spirited and curious. While conveying Anne's vexation at her sister and mother, Wilson also communicates her unshakable love for her... Read More

In a soothing voice, Jeffrey Hedquist narrates a story based on the Maine author's own life. Listeners meet amiable Woody, a skilled boat builder who works by the sea. Sound effects--for example, the cries of seagulls and the sizzle of frying pancakes--are irresistible. When Woody finds a hole in his flour sack, he becomes angry and sets a trap. His sadness and regret are... Read More

Author Kao Kalia Yang's soft Hmong-accented voice opens this forthright and heartrending refugee story with the birth of her own children. She then moves on to chronicle family history from her mother Tswb's (pronounced "Chew") point of view. Yang narrates the introductory and concluding elements of the story herself, with Pamela Xiong picking up the body of the narrative,... Read More

Anton Treuer does double duty as narrator of his debut novel, set largely in the wilderness surrounding the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, north of the Ontario-Minnesota border. Working with Grandpa Liam on his trapline, 15-year-old Ezra Cloud grapples with grief at the recent loss of his mother. It's an affecting story, but, sadly, Treuer is less gifted as a narrator of... Read More

Charley Flyte's performance of Deborah Taffa's memoir is beautifully nuanced and sensitive, and her ease with Indigenous names lends additional authenticity. As a child and teenager, Taffa struggled to understand her place in the world. When her parents moved off the Yuma reservation in search of better jobs, Taffa was cut off from her traditional family and culture. She was... Read More

Escape with narrators EmmaClaire Brightlyn and Martin Quinn to the quaint and picturesque Scottish Isle of Skye in this heartfelt romance. Returning to Scotland, April Sinclair has big plans for her family's whisky distillery now that her once flourishing acting career has fizzled. However, she doesn't expect to find handsome but grumpy Malcolm Macabe living in the home she's... Read More

Listeners join a group of friends at a birthday party who are discussing the murder of a fellow inhabitant of their peaceful Massachusetts town. When one of the partygoers is later discovered murdered, the story is told from the point of view of each character. As they do so, secrets and lies are revealed. The use of varied perspectives is complemented by the use of multiple... Read More

Judith Butler's voice adds gravity to their examination of the rising anti-gender-expression rhetoric. A renowned philosopher and pioneering queer theorist, Butler narrates her work for the first time here. The subject comes at a polarizing time, and Butler's patient yet sober tone seems to acknowledge this. They speak candidly on the rhetoric of the trans-exclusionary radical... Read More

Max Meyers radiates the tension that begins on Election Day 2024 in this charged and disquieting book. Duncan is a queer, Jewish teen, who, along with his first boyfriend, has helped elect the first gay, Jewish president. Duncan travels with a coalition of diverse campaign workers to take a stand in Kansas--a state that the opposition refuses to concede. Meyers conveys a... Read More

A talented trio of narrators, Zac Aleman, Andre Bellido, and Alejandra Reynoso, bring this story of transformative change to life. Unhoused 17-year-old Ana and her mother live in a car in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. One night, she meets 17-year-old Leandro and his service dog, Cielo. The story is told from the alternating points of view of Ana, Leandro, and Cielo.... Read More

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant's memoir is an inspirational account of her life as a wildlife ecologist. Her career has involved traveling to remote locales to study and save animals, becoming a fellow of the National Geographic Society, and hosting "Wild Kingdom," a television program focused on protecting wildlife. Her warm and engaging narration of her own story is personable,... Read More

Anne Marie Arvdal-Richardson does a first-rate job of narrating this intense portrait of a woman who is in love and in denial. Ester, a poet, is an efficient woman who prides herself on her intellect and intuitiveness. The listener has a front-row seat as Arvdal-Richardson depicts the disintegration of Ester's mind as she experiences her sudden and overwhelming love for Hugo,... Read More

Listeners will find an honest coming-of-age story in this vivid performance by Krysta Gonzales. Twelve-year-old Winnie is staying at her grandmother's in New York City for the summer. She has always known she's a lesbian, but she still hides it from her family, and that makes her plans to attend Pride celebrations a lot harder. Gonzales's performance is focused heavily on... Read More

Using the infamous 1843 murder trial of Polly Bodine of Staten Island, narrator Erin Bennet recounts the rise of tabloid journalism and the public's fascination with true crime. Indicted for killing her sister-in-law and niece, Bodine was the first American woman to be tried for capital murder. Her case perfectly illustrates media sensationalism. Bennett's delivery reflects the... Read More

Robert Petkoff's rich voice enlivens the adventures of witch Poppy Dyer and demon Rok Kours. Poppy is cursed to forever manifest the creatures of humans' nightmares. Locked in a magical castle on Halloween, she and Rok attempt to break that curse. Petkoff provides sound effects as various creatures such as skeletons, aliens, and evil dolls are brought into being by Poppy.... Read More

A star-studded cast masterfully performs Napolitano's debut novel. Her recent success with HELLO BEAUTIFUL has brought this long out-of-print title back. And this stellar audiobook demonstrates its worth. It's hard to limit praise to just a few of the half-dozen sparkling narrations. But Brittany Pressley as Gracie, the lost-soul writer who works as a kind of "Dear Abby," gives... Read More

Leila Mottley, poet laureate of Oakland, California, delivers her poetry collection with unabashed energy. She addresses the cultural nuances of womanhood, Blackness, love, and futurism. Her narration is vibrant, rhythmic, clear, and straightforward. There are dramatic moments--for example, her use of repetition in the final poem when she says the word "resurrect" repeatedly as... Read More

This audiobook quickly evolves into an eerie thriller, thanks to the extraordinary dialogue performed with precision by Paul Sparks. The story centers on Myra Larkin, who one evening befriends a young man claiming to be Mickey Mantle. That same evening, a triple homicide occurs nearby, which affects 13-year-old Myra and the entire Larkin family for decades. Sparks is an ideal... Read More

Narrator Jeena Yi guides listeners through the author's journey to find her roots and her realization that where we are may be more important than where we came from. Tracy O'Neill has always loved her adoptive family, but when COVID-19 struck the U.S., she worried about her birth mother across the world in South Korea dying alone. Enlisting detectives and distant relatives,... Read More

A business journalist combines flawless narration with intelligent writing to explain how cultural and institutional barriers have blocked U.S. women's access to financial independence and the power that comes with it. Josie Cox's mature-sounding performance and British accent add dignity to her careful research and writing. The stories of pioneers like Betty Friedan, Ruth... Read More

Rachel Nishizawa narrates these feminist stories with a blend of poise, bafflement, anger, and wry humor. Though they include a variety of settings ranging from small towns to spaceships, the stories all tackle a similar theme: women trying to survive men. Nishizawa does a great job altering her voice just enough to give each woman a different feel. In a story narrated by a sex... Read More

Alex Knox performs a thrilling adventure in which the discovery of a body on the Pacific Coast Trail is only the beginning of a hiker's quest for survival. Josh's marriage is on the rocks, so he takes to the lengthy PCT to get away and clear his mind. After he encounters grisly remains and a lack of concern about them from the authorities, he realizes he's not alone on the... Read More

This extraordinary anthology of stories, brought to life by the Ukraine Audiobook Relief Project, features a diverse and talented group of narrators who illuminate the rich tapestry of Ukrainian storytelling. The stories cover an array of experiences, ranging from tales of immigrant grandparents to traditional Cossack folktales. The diversity of the full cast mirrors the rich... Read More

André Santana narrates this Brazilian import translated from Portuguese. The narrative switches from the present day, when elderly Raimundo is learning to read, to his past, when as a young, gay man he experienced homophobic violence from his father. As the story unfolds, the cycle of queer trauma in Raimundo's family is made clear. Unfortunately, Raimundo's trauma and... Read More

Clare Corbett's sympathetic performance of Rose Macaulay's 1950 novel about the costs of war highlights its mix of the satiric and the heartfelt. When 17-year-old Barbary is sent to live with her conventional father in London after growing up semi-wild in southern France with her mother, she finds adventure and comfort among the vagabonds and criminals who inhabit London's... Read More

Caitlin Kinnunen's youthful voice increases sympathy for vulnerable 12-year-old Fern, who wants to return to The Ranch, a cult community that is the only home she can remember. Fern's mother woke her in the middle of the night and took her to a new home a coast away. Kinnunen's narration reflects Fern's confusion, anger, and determination to return to The Ranch. She also... Read More

Author A.J. Jacobs narrates his newest pop-culture examination of history with energy and enthusiasm. Setting out to understand what it means to live by the Constitution, Jacobs blends serious reflection and interviews with constitutional law experts with personal experiments. He uses a quill pen on cotton rag paper to write opinions that he hands out in Times Square (the right... Read More

Yes, Stephen King, we like it darker--especially when Will Patton narrates the 12 new stories in this audiobook. Patton's usually soft voice explodes with excitement when necessary. Some of the entries from the lengthy collection are crime related, and there's not a single vampire, alien or werewolf to be found. Others are typical King horror fests. "Danny Coughlin's Bad... Read More

Narrator Joel Leslie brings his usual charm to Cat Sebastian's latest historical romance. Eddie O'Leary, the star shortstop for the New York Robins, is not having a star season--he's deep in a record-breaking slump. Mark Bailey, a reporter for the NEW YORK CHRONICLE who is mourning the death of his partner, certainly doesn't want to write weekly columns about Eddie. Leslie... Read More

Sam Rushton gives a splendid performance of this well-written story about the life of a Jewish Red Army soldier, Yefim Shulman, who is from Ukraine. The novel is based on the author's family's experiences during WWII. Yefin is captured by the Germans early in the war, survives captivity, and eventually rejoins the Red Army and fights in Berlin at the end of the war. Having been... Read More

The point of view in this latest Secret Projects installment switches between Yumi, portrayed by Kate Reading, and Painter, portrayed by Michael Kramer. The shifts ask listeners to try to figure out the rules in their separate worlds. Yumi's exalted job is to artfully stack rocks to appease the spirits, while Painter's job is to transform corporeal nightmares into harmless... Read More

Narrator Mara Wilson delivers this satirical zombie-apocalypse audiobook with careful pacing, intensifying the horrors and keeping listeners on edge. Wendy is recovering from a bad breakup at a Pride party. Seeing her ex-girlfriend hook up with her friends is difficult, but then the party attendees become suddenly violent, and soon the violence spreads. Wilson distinctly voices... Read More