Hannah van der Westhuysen gives a quiet, melancholic performance of this contemplative, grief-filled reimagining of KING LEAR. Set in a vague future of half-drowned cities and constant rain, the story revolves around three queer sisters after the death of their famous father, an architect. Estranged from him and each other, the three women navigate their romantic relationships,... Read More

In the sequel to Korn's YOURS FOR THE TAKING, narrator Gail Shalan captures the desperation of two women as each works to survive in a world changed by politics and climate. Listeners learn why Kelly deserted her daughter, Orchid, seven years earlier and is making the dangerous trip home in 2041 to reunite with her. Woven into this story is Orchid's quest in 2078 to find her... Read More

The endearing husband-and-wife team of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer continue their stunning narration of the Stormlight Archive series. Reading and Kramer switch off narrating--with both bringing special touches to their performances. Their narration is equal parts emotive and emphatic, gliding through accents and inflections with aplomb. The story is nuanced with... Read More

André Santana returns to narrate the conclusion of the Sunbearer Duology. Teo's refusal to sacrifice another semidiós at the end of the Sunbearer Trials results in chaos and perpetual night. As Xio feels conflicted over the Obsidian gods and their destruction, Santana seamlessly transitions between their youthful voice, the deep and manipulative voice of Vanganza, and the... Read More

Johnny Heller's rough-and-tumble voice is the perfect match for Clavin's stories of Western outlaws and their hideouts. Much of the audiobook is devoted to Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, but there's room for strange detours. Heller's hearty style can make a reportedly true story, such as the story of a robber whose skin became the shoes worn by a governor, take on the... Read More

Safiyya Ingar's passionate, energetic narration enhances this audiobook retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, reimagined as a girl's quest for revenge. After nearly a year in prison for a crime she didn't commit, Dania is determined to escape and hold her ex-lover, Mazin, responsible for his betrayal. Her partner in this venture is Noor, a fellow prisoner with the ability to... Read More

While a dark mystery propels this narrative, the novella is really a character study of five insomniac night owls brought to life by five talented vocal artists. During their customary cemetery meetup, Edie, Hannah, Theo, Tuck, and Tamar find an unusual hole in the ground, which a gravedigger has filled with mutated rats. Curious--the group uses their specialties--Edie's... Read More

Gabra Zackman narrates this audiobook about new discoveries and second chances at love. Like her father, Augusta Stern has devoted her life to pharmacy science after a disastrous attempt to use her great aunt's mysterious mixtures to capture the love and attention of a young man named Irving. Sixty years later, Augusta is forced into retirement and finds herself at a sunny... Read More

Andy Carpenter's plans for a quiet holiday season are interrupted when a rescue dog he once placed with a local family shows up at his front door. Grover Gardner reprises his portrayal of the curmudgeonly lawyer as he returns the pooch to its family, only to discover that the dog's young owner has been arrested for murdering his college professor. Gardner voices Andy's... Read More

Catherine Ho's thoughtful delivery is ideal for this enchanting story contrasting Eastern and Western dragon mythologies. Listeners meet an Asian American boy whose mother's storytelling introduces his dual heritage. The boy's grandmothers become involved, too, and Ho never missteps in portraying each woman's gentle and loving voice. The Western grandma describes a dense forest... Read More

From the time of Louis XIV's Versailles through the 1930s, the world of fashion was dominated by the French. Gail Shalan narrates this fascinating account of the dramatic and permanent changes in the industry instigated by the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940. Women were most influential in the birth of New York's Seventh Avenue as the heart of new fashion. Shalan describes the... Read More

Sneha Mathan's narration immerses listeners in a story of forbidden connection and social upheaval. Vijaya is the daughter of aristocrats, and Krishna is the son of one the family's servants. Their bond is forged across entrenched divides of class and privilege. Mathan's delivery evokes the contrasting worlds of the two families, with each character brought to life through a... Read More

Novelist Richard Price has as fine an ear for American speech as anyone writing today, and his panoramic novels have tested the skill of a string of fine audiobook narrators. His latest, revolving around the collapse of an apartment building in East Harlem in 1982, moves from one character to another--a photographer, a policewoman, an undertaker, and the Lazarus Man of the... Read More

Award-winning actor and singer Keke Palmer weaves personal stories and valuable advice into her inspirational self-help memoir. Authentic and deep, she draws listeners in with her signature voice, which has the ability to be energetic, sincere, and playful all at once. Palmer candidly speaks of moments in her life that have had significant impacts on her self-improvement and... Read More

Sam Woolf creates a foreboding atmosphere in this disturbing mystery with strong Christie vibes, set in 1952, 1983, and 2012 Iceland. Listeners enter a tuberculosis sanitorium repurposed from the 1940-50s and meet likable Helgi, who is reopening an investigation into earlier unsolved murders. His well-rendered questions to the caretaker, nurses, and doctors unearth old lies,... Read More

Vikas Adam returns to narrate the third installment in Rosen's historical mystery series set in 1950s San Francisco. Evander Mills finally has a boyfriend, a safe apartment above a queer bar, and steady work as a PI. But there's always something threatening the fragile peace of the life he's built for himself, and this time it begins when the owner of a gay bookstore goes... Read More

Stephanie Németh-Parker narrates a Christmas-themed romance that can be best described as a Cape Cod charmer. Between marketing jobs, Riley Sanders heads home to help her injured mother run her inn. Németh-Parker's steady pace and warm voice capture the story's three gentle romantic threads, involving Riley, her mother, and an inn guest. Riley's childhood crush, Aiden, and... Read More

John Pirhalla portrays an everyday guy named Frank whose life is turned upside down when his estranged daughter gets in touch to announce her wedding to Aidan, the son of a tech billionaire. When Frank mysteriously receives a photo of Aidan with a missing girl, he decides to investigate to ensure the safety of his daughter. Pirhalla's excellent narration highlights Frank's... Read More

Kate Handford and Hunter Johns narrate this opposite-attract contemporary romance. Ellie's life as a ghostwriter of celebrity cookbooks is currently just the way she wants it. She has no desire to take chances with romance after having become a widow three years earlier. Kieran, a chef and recent winner of a reality cooking competition, has been tasked with producing his debut... Read More

This challenging audiobook manages to be two genres at once, both a historical novel and a fantasy. Brooks's narrative delightfully captures the misadventures of the crew and passengers of the Trans-Siberian Express as it crosses the eerie Russian "wastelands" around the turn of the twentieth century. Only one thing detracts from this enjoyable ride: The narrators' choice of... Read More

Competitive surfing intersects with organized crime in this audiobook, narrated effectively by Major Curda and Stephanie Németh-Parker. Surfer Jen Stonebreaker and her twin sons, Casey and Brock, have struggled to cope since the tragic death of Jen's husband, John, 25 years earlier during a perilous competition. Curda and Nemeth-Parker's contrasting delivery styles work well... Read More

Karissa Vacker's gentle voice ripples with mirth as she recites Bee Johnson's descriptions of the many things a mess can make: meals and snacks, props for imaginative play, art, a squabble, a reconciliation, and more. Lists of messes conveyed in bouncy rhyme unfurl alongside a jaunty soundtrack augmented by occasional sound effects. These last are often necessary to fully... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley jumps into action, ramping up the tension as this story opens where the previous audiobook left off. Sonya has inherited a mansion filled with ghosts and a curse placed by a witch centuries ago. The witch, Dobbs, has cursed seven Poole brides to die on their wedding days. Pressley embodies evil as she voices Dobbs, who still inhabits the mansion.... Read More

When NBC "Dateline" reporter and producer Dan Slepian stumbled upon evidence that a number of men serving lengthy terms in the New York State prison system may have been innocent, he couldn't let it go. In a voice bristling with urgency, empathy, and determination, Slepian recounts how false identification, racial profiling, prosecutorial misconduct, incentivized witnesses, and... Read More

Maya Hawke performs this classic collection superbly. She pays attention to Joan Didion's exquisite prose and captures her careful observations--such as a 5-year-old on acid in San Francisco and the evolution of her native Sacramento once aerospace engineers arrived, among other topics. Hawke gets Didion's measured pace and thoughtful tone just right as she conveys the... Read More

Narrator Ellis Evans's total commitment makes what could be a ridiculous premise a fun and compelling listen. College student Nicholas "Coal" Claus is the heir to Christmas. After his attempt at spreading joy goes wrong, Coal shares a drunken kiss with a man who then disappears. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Coal finds himself facing an unwanted arranged engagement to his... Read More

Fans of THE PLOT, and they were legion, will rejoice at this sequel, performed with mesmerizing skill by the wonderful Julia Whelan. It’s no small feat to make a lethally dislikable character irresistible on the page, let alone in the ear, but Korelitz and Whelan have done it. Anna is a monster of ego, incapable of sympathy for anyone but herself. She is also brilliant,... Read More

Natalie Naudus narrates this delightful romantic comedy with confidence. After adventurous escapades June comes back to her beachside hometown to manage her late sister's struggling tea shop. At the same time, Levi, recently thrust into the spotlight due to a public breakup, returns to assist Dylan, June's younger brother, with his upcoming wedding. When a chance photo of June... Read More

Narrator Annie Maynard's comfortable tone and Australian accent set the scene for this audiobook. Kerryn Mayne's debut introduces listeners to Lenny Marks, a fifth-grade teacher in her mid-30s. When a letter from her parole board addressed to Helena Winters is delivered to her school, Lenny's long-buried past is resurrected. Maynard injects humor and pathos as she brings this... Read More

There's a teasing, mischievous lilt to Omari Douglas's performance that perfectly suits this delightful romance set in a fantasy world. Dutiful son Mattinesh Jay is entering into an arranged marriage to save his family's failing textile business. An encounter with con-man and duelist Luca Pierre leads Matti to hire him as his ceremonial best man at the wedding; Luca also... Read More

Laura Benanti's narration enhances this engaging thriller. Stella is a lawyer with long buried memories, and Rose Barclay is a 9-year-old girl who has gone mute since witnessing her nanny's death. Listeners will be more and more intrigued by each twist of the plot as the lines between victim and perpetrator become increasingly blurred. The shifting dynamics between Stella and... Read More

This audiobook continues to follow the thrilling journey of pop star Winter Young and secret agent Sydney Cossette as they embark on a dangerous mission in Singapore. Becca Q. Co's versatile narration creates distinct voices for each character, making it easy for listeners to differentiate between them. Co portrays Sydney's emotional strength and vulnerability, giving depth to... Read More

Alexis Pauline Gumbs narrates her unique biography of writer, intersectional feminist, and civil rights activist Audre Lorde in a quiet, musical voice that rings with wonder, love, and curiosity. Though the audiobook follows a more or less chronological pattern, that's all it has in common with a traditional biography. Gumbs uses a variety of lenses--earthquakes, gray whale... Read More

Garth Greenwell's narration of his intimate third novel is breathtaking. When a searing pain sends him into the ICU in the fall of 2020, an unnamed poet endures a period of fear, loneliness, unending medical humiliations, and surprising moments of tenderness. In his hospital bed, interacting with nurses and doctors and, once a day, his partner, L., he muses on his past and... Read More

Gabby Beans performs this suspenseful novel about a Black nonbinary protagonist who is haunted by the events that occurred at their childhood home. After years of living in the UK, Ezri finds themself on a plane back to the U.S. to visit their parents in their suburban home outside Dallas, Texas. There, Ezri finds their parents dead and begins trying to reconstruct their last... Read More

Daniel Henning narrates a prequel to IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS. Douglas, or Android P-23, is given a week of relative freedom after working 10 years in the factory that made him. He learns many things and must make a hard choice when the week is over. Henning gives Douglas a somewhat flat and emotionless portrayal to start with, but as Douglas's week of freedom progresses,... Read More

Popular author Brigid Schulte delves into the complicated problem of a struggling and exhausted American workforce with thorough investigative reporting, bold arguments, and comprehensive recommendations on how to fix it. Rachel Perry approaches her narration with the same intensity that the author has as she explains crucial research, channels personal stories of burnout, and... Read More

Christine Lakin and Tim Paige deliver a fun, sexy, and relatable romance. Lakin voices Molly, a sassy and cynical rom-com screenwriter who reluctantly attends her fifteenth high school reunion. There, she unexpectedly reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Seth, voiced by Paige. Seth is in search of a fairy-tale romance. As they catch up, they make a playful bet on the outcomes of... Read More

Narrator Bahni Turpin showcases her award-winning talent in the first installment of this series, breathing life into its diverse characters. Vandy Myrick, a newly minted private investigator, believes she's taken on a straightforward infidelity case. Instead, she becomes entangled in a complex web of crimes involving murder, betrayal, racism, and political corruption. Turpin... Read More

In this dual-perspective romance, Ellie Gossage ably performs both narrators with voices that fit their distinct personalities. Bubbly, optimistic Opal wins the lottery and uses most of her newfound wealth to outright purchase a beautiful flower farm in Appalachian North Carolina. But when she arrives at her new home, she discovers cynical Pepper, who has been living and... Read More

Narrator Angel Pean voices Jerusalem, an 18-year-old with powers that make her fearless. She hates the vampires that tortured her and joins the Union army to fight against them, even if it means being trained by another vampire, a Russian named Alexi. While youthful voices suit the teenage characters, a Russian vampire with an American accent and slight inconsistencies in... Read More

A full cast performs this humorous investigation featuring upright-walking, talking, vest-wearing alligators. Mango and Brash go undercover at Batter Down Bakery to find a kidnapped baker and fight the evil "Crackerdile," who is also a bomber. The cast adapt their voices to multiple roles, especially Torian Brackett, who portrays the straightlaced narrator; Aaron Yamawaki, as... Read More

Helen Laser's narration style, crisp yet conversational, is a good choice for this murder mystery set in the north woods of Minnesota. Siblings Liv and Gave, estranged for many years, connect again when their older brother unexpectedly dies and they both receive emails saying he was murdered. When they return to their remote family-run resort to investigate, Laser provides a... Read More

Si Chen takes listeners to 1930s Shanghai in this historical fantasy. Cabaret dancer Jingwen has one foot in the world of lavish clubs and wealthy foreigners and the other in Shanghai's black market: Her grandmother is involved with money laundering. Chen's performance is smooth and steady, with little differentiation between characters. Delivering on Lin's vivid portrait of... Read More

In one of the most delightful science fiction stories of the year, Katharine Chin performs an Indiana Jones-like adventure that's perfect for lovers of great heist stories. After ten years of stealing artifacts across the galaxy, Maya Hoshimoto has retired to Earth to be a graduate student in anthropology. But when her best friend asks her to do one last job, she reluctantly... Read More

In this delightfully strange fantasy, Steve West delivers countless stand-out performances of whimsical characters ranging from owl-headed schoolmasters to animatronic hollow men and enormous eldritch rulers. After the Guardian of the West Passage dies, young Pell takes up the mantle of tower Mother, while Kew strives to become the new Guardian. When the mysterious beast begins... Read More

Narrator Lipica Shah embodies Abbas's poetic text about henna and its uses by many people in Southern Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The refrain "Henna is" invites listeners to join in and creates an open mood in which to explore its different aspects. From its cultivation and mix of ingredients to its color, texture, scent, and many uses, henna is a way to define one's... Read More

Gabra Zackman performs this ambitious novel, which attempts to turn the legend of King Arthur on its head. In an alternative future 11 thousand years from now, an orphan boy named Ariel chooses not to pull the sword from the stone. Instead, he finds a different sword, an ancient artifact that carries with it a sentient AI that tells him of times past. From there, Ariel starts... Read More

This audiobook reveals often untold stories of early trans athletes and their battles for equality during a time of severe prejudice. Narrator Jennifer Pickens brings the stories in this superbly researched audiobook to life. Pickens expertly conveys the emotions of figures like Zdenek Koubek, a European sprinter who ultimately lived as a man, and Mark Weston, a British field... Read More

This audiobook tackles immigration, one of today's most contentious topics, in a logical, informative, and unique way. Author Zeke Hernandez uses statistics and stories and calls on his personal experience to provide a balanced view. Narrator André Santana delivers the sometimes complex subject matter in an easy-to-understand manner. Santana's engaging narration makes the... Read More

First appearing in print in 1979, this remarkable and intimate audiobook chronicles the implosion of the 1960s and reports on the people, mores, and trends that defined that turbulent time. Actor Susan Varon narrates this collection of essays in a voice that is confident and clear. She morphs into the New Age journalist and the perceptive writer who was Joan Didion. This... Read More

Lee's well-researched portrait of Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon is a delightful and informative experience brought to life by narrator Jane Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer's slightly hoarse timbre and intimate tone suit the intelligent, reserved, and poised former First Lady of the United States. President Richard Nixon certainly gets his due in this audiobook, and, happily, the... Read More

British historian Giles Milton regularly narrates his own books, all devoted to aspects of WWII, and this illuminating account of the wartime dealings among Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin has a flavor no professional narrator could convey. Milton's voice is not schooled or melodious; it has the bark and urgency of a wartime announcer. Pitched but not strident, unvarnished but... Read More

Jean Brassard, Louise Penny’s choice to narrate her 19th Armand Gamache/Three Pines novel, proves an inspired selection. From his portrayals of familiar Three Pines residents to his introduction of new characters, Brassard, a native Quebecois and award-winning actor, gets it right. Domestic terrorism takes Gamache, Jean-Guy, and Isabelle from Montreal to the Vatican and to an... Read More

As soon as listeners hear Johnny Heller's easy Western drawl, they'll know they're in for a story about the Old West. This engrossing account begins in 1822 when bright, strapping, historically neglected Jedediah Smith joined 100 "Enterprising Young Men" to open trade routes and explore the vast Rocky Mountains in a race to expand a young nation's opportunities and boundaries.... Read More

Rebecca Yeo narrates a romance that also features family drama. Renee Goh and Yap Ket Siong were on the verge of becoming something more than friends 10 years ago; now, after a chance encounter at a private gallery preview, they have the opportunity to reignite their relationship. Yeo perfectly balances the trauma Renee and Ket Siong both carry with the giddiness they feel at a... Read More

Jennifer Pickens adopts an even-keeled reportorial cadence and timbre well suited to Griswold's immersion journalism, which recounts the rise and fall of Circle of Hope. Founders Rod and Gwen White began the church as a California commune based on Anabaptist values of hospitality, simple living, and assisting the poor. Moving to Philadelphia in the early 1990s, the Whites... Read More

Eanna Hardwicke's narration highlights the rich emotionality of Rooney's newest novel. Hardwicke's smooth voice shifts to capture every mood--becoming desperately angry, bitter, and frantic yet also achingly tender, patient, and loving--as he performs a story of two grieving brothers. Peter and Ivan's father has died, leaving them unmoored and their relationship strained. Peter... Read More

Narrator Susan Ericksen once again takes the listener through a murder investigation led by Lt. Eve Dallas in New York City in the year 2061. Dallas is called to a club where a young bride-to-be has been murdered at her bachelorette party. Assisting Eve is her partner, Peabody. Ericksen does an excellent job contrasting Dallas's calm determination with Peabody's more youthful... Read More

Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber narrate a contemporary romance set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. After a career meltdown, chef Fisher is offered another chance that temporarily relocates him and his teenage niece to Oregon. The job involves preparing a new restaurant for opening. Sage, a high school teacher, caretaker of displaced animals, and grower of flowers,... Read More

In this updated retelling of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, the classic tale of false identities and gender-swapping is enhanced by the talented narrations of Alexandra Palting and Kevin R. Free. Their youthful and energetic performances bring to life injured football player Jack Orsino and geeky tabletop gamer Viola Reyes, who meet up in an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online... Read More

Genevieve Gaunt narrates this genre-defying surreal novel about art, artists, and relationships. Her genteel English accent fits the prose, which evokes a mood of elite European salon communities. Gaunt's pacing is slow, giving listeners needed time to absorb the disorienting introspective narrative, which frequently switches from the first to the third person. Main characters... Read More

Narrator Kathleen Mclnerney returns to voice Chief Kate Burkholder in the sixteenth audiobook in this series. McInerney masterfully differentiates the returning characters, along with new folks good and evil, male and female. A crime scene at which an Amish man has been burned at the stake begins a new investigation that involves the detective's deep dive into the history of... Read More

Gentle-voiced Soneela Nankani narrates the story of a yellow bus whose purpose changes over many years. It begins as a school bus and ends as an underwater structure. Throughout, listeners hear Nankani soothingly repeat the refrain regarding the bus's inhabitants: ". . . and they filled her with joy." Listeners will hear background music, traffic, giggling children, farm... Read More

Stephanie Németh-Parker speaks with a Southern accent in this audiobook, which takes place in southeast Texas. In 1999, four generations of Evans women run the only funeral parlor in town. When people suddenly begin rising from the dead, it's time for Evans matriarchs Ducey, Lenore, and Grace to tell teenager Luna about the family business. Németh-Parker voices the Evans women... Read More

Ben Miles does an exceptional job narrating Dostoevsky's masterpiece. The novel revolves around the three Karamazov brothers and their father. It includes many of the themes found in the author's other works: murder, courtroom drama, toxic relationships, sensuality, as well as some of Dostoevsky's most profound and deepest philosophical and theological ideas. The Karamazovs are... Read More

Suzanne Toren's voice guides listeners through this dense text, keeping listeners' interest with her conversational tone. Award-winning novelist Marilynne Robinson examines Genesis as a great work of ancient literature. In addition to contextualizing the work within its literary time period, Robinson highlights its recurring themes--God's sovereignty and never-ending love for... Read More

Kirsten Potter's performance skillfully brings to life a tight-knit unit of firefighters who double as a heist crew. Engine 99 of the NYC Fire Department uses blazes as covers to pull off high-stakes crimes. Potter captures the dual nature of the characters, especially Andy Nearland, the newest member of the unit, who has a hidden agenda. As the crew prepares for their most... Read More

Robb Moreira’s appealing and empathetic performance anchors listeners in Tucson teenager Brett’s point of view. Brett is creative and funny and has a great vocabulary, thanks to his adoptive mother, Evelyn—and his life is spinning out of his control. Brett tries to escape his grief by making and distributing new issues of his Kid Condor comic book, watching THE KARATE KID,... Read More

Patti Murin captures the wit and warmth of this uplifting romance. Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when her manager asks her to rewrite a disastrous rom-com by her idol, Charlie Yates. Charlie, an acclaimed action-adventure screenwriter, is taken aback by Emma's sudden appearance at his home to "assist" him in reworking his... Read More

It was a great decision by author Madhumita Murgia to narrate this account of her investigation into artificial intelligence (AI) and its global impact on societies. Murgia is the artificial intelligence editor for Britain's FINANCIAL TIMES, so her multilayered understanding of the topic helps create an impactful audio performance. She is curious and sensitive, skeptical and... Read More

Adrian Tchaikovsky again proves himself a double threat. Not only has the British author written a wide variety of science fiction over the past two decades, he's also quite effective serving as his own narrator. His latest audiobook is set in a dystopian future Britain in which humans are dying off because robots have taken over doing everything that is meaningful. This allows... Read More

Jesse Aaronson and the author's sister, Georgia Garrison, narrate a story of teenagers in their last year of high school and their dreams of the future. Best friends since third grade, Caplan and Mina have both been raised by single mothers on the same cul-de-sac. Cap is the golden boy prom king, while Mina is valedictorian and is expected to attend her father's Ivy League alma... Read More

This familiar story of a teen pop star pushed to early stardom is given a haunting performance by Brittany Pressley. Amber has grown up pleasing her mother by attending audition after audition. Her success in landing a spot in the supergroup Cloud9 was only the beginning. Now exploring her solo pop career, Amber becomes an oversexualized idol who yearns for a normal childhood.... Read More

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Bell narrates this audio adaptation of his graphic memoir with assists from his son (portraying himself) and two professional actors. Between them, Brittany Bradford and William DeMerrit realize dozens of fully individuated characters: Bell's younger self, along with his parents (an interracial couple), childhood friends, teachers,... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning brings his signature versatility, emotional connection, and perfect comedic timing to the latest in the acclaimed Cerulean Chronicles series. The magical children cared for by Arthur and Linus on Marsyas Island are joined by a new child, the yeti David, who is voiced with a nasally growl. When the children speak, the production layers their voices... Read More

Author and narrator Roxana Robinson weaves together the many pieces of her great-grandparents' memoirs, letters, and journal entries, adding threads that turn them into a novel. Her inviting delivery engages listeners with English-born Frank Dawson, who embraces African American civil rights after surviving battles in the Confederate Navy and becoming editor of the Charleston... Read More

This splendid romantic adventure, loosely based on the Persephone myth, receives a sterling performance by Ariel Blake. In the fifteenth century, Odòdó is a member of the women's blacksmith's guild in Timbuktu, where conditions are terrible for her and other women. When Timbuktu falls, Odòdó is abducted and spirited away to the Royal City, where her life changes forever. The... Read More

Questlove is an established musician, musicologist, DJ, and narrator of his latest audiobook. Here, he recounts the fifty-year history of hip-hop with exuberant joy. The result is a fascinating journey from the coastal cities in the early 1970s, where historians believe hip-hop started, to the current state of the art. From the nature of sampling, lyrics, and how music made the... Read More

Catherine Coldstream didn't start out as a devout person, but after her father's death, she sought to make a major change in her life. So she converted to Catholicism and entered a traditional Carmelite monastery as a nun. Coldstream narrates this memoir detailing her transition from a secular life to the religious order. Her British-accented narration has tonal variation but... Read More

Helen McAlpine narrates a simple yet powerful story of a lady knight who is seeking to reclaim her honor. To restore her title, Maddileh must retrieve the fireborne blade from a legendary dragon called the White Lady. She also navigates other challenges such as sexism, because she's a female knight, and confusion over whom she can trust. McAlpine's wispy narration is a great... Read More

This audiobook about a terrifying event in American history is expertly narrated by Paul Michael. In October 1962, Nikita Khrushchev attempted to install nuclear missiles in secret in Cuba by camouflaging them on ordinary supply ships. Michael re-creates the conversations between President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, as they work to... Read More

Narrator André Santana skillfully performs a thrilling Hollywood horror novel. Screenwriter Misha Byrne has just received an ultimatum from the studio executives--their algorithm says to kill off his beloved queer TV characters, or else. Misha refuses, and Santana captures his initial anger, then his terror as he suddenly finds himself facing deadly characters from his horror... Read More

The entrepreneur and founder of the global platform Build Like A Woman, Kathleen Griffith provides women at all stages of entrepreneurship with a blueprint to build a business and a life they love. As she narrates her own work in the voice of a down-to-earth best friend, Griffith openly reveals her personal experiences, including her breakdowns and breakthroughs. Section 1 is... Read More

Tony Award-winning actor Cynthia Erivo brings her considerable talent to the long-anticipated final installment of Tomi Adeyemi's groundbreaking fantasy, Legacy of Orisha. With a rich tonal range and depth of feeling, Erivo conveys Zélie's anguish beautifully, projecting the complex emotions of her capture by King Baldyr. Erivo's narration is powerful and nuanced as she voices... Read More

This stirring audiobook makes a strong argument for narrator consistency. Once again Henry Leyva narrates the adventures of Doiron's Mike Bowditch. So it's little wonder that Leyva sounds so comfortable when voicing Mike and his close circle of friends and relatives. This outing is especially trying for the veteran Maine game warden as he attempts to track down a ruthless but... Read More

Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the interdisciplinary Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, opens and closes this audio production. Her gentle voice is filled with playful curiosity as she sets the stage for Cassandra Campbell's engaging performance. Campbell guides listeners through explorations of the possibility of life on other planets, based on Earth's geological... Read More

Fans of Studio Ghibli's animated films will enjoy the way Caitlin Davies performs this enchanting story. For the past decade, academic librarian Kiela has hidden herself away in the Empire with only a sentient spider plant for company. When the fires of the Revolution burn down the Great Library of Alyssium, she escapes to her secluded childhood home with a few crates of... Read More

Travel to the Summer Olympic Games with Shaniqua Okwok, who narrates this contemporary sports romance. Hardworking Olivia Nkomo is determined to get her dream job at the Summer Games, where she hopes to meet some of her favorite athletes. Zeke Moyo, the star of Team Great Britain, is seeking the title of "fastest man alive." When Olivia and Zeke bump into each other on the... Read More

Helen Laser brings a crisp no-nonsense timbre to the lush, narcissistic world of celebrities that ghostwriter Mari Hawthorn must navigate to survive in Palm Springs. Mari gets her big break when she's hired to write notorious model Anke Berben's memoir. Laser makes her excitement and trepidation palpable with a well-chosen combination of hushed tones and even diction. Anke is... 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 their 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... Read More

Emma Galvin and Max Meyers voice the perspectives of sommelier-in-training Theo Flowerday and French pastry chef Kit Fairfield. The two bisexual exes have met up by chance on a three-week food tour of France, Spain, and Italy. This tour de force of accents and vocal work is a testament to Galvin and Meyers’s skills. Any scene can require a half dozen international accents... Read More

Acclaimed narrator Dion Graham performs this dynamic, artfully crafted novel about a biracial author/academic who becomes the owner of a plantation on the Delmarva Peninsula after the death of his son. This work of literary fiction morphs back and forth from reality to fantasy, from tragedy to dark humor, from past trauma to present emotional upheavals. Graham's voice is well... Read More

Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens narrate a haunting reimagining of the fairy tale "The Goose Girl." Cordelia lives with her mother, an enchantress, in a house with no doors. When her mother decides to marry the local squire, Cordelia and his sister, Hester, form an unlikely alliance. Pickens's portrayal of Cordelia's developing independence is breathtaking. A victim of both... Read More

With her portfolio of British accents, narrator Janine Birkett brings Vera Stanhope to life, along with her team and the other characters in the eleventh book in this series. Birkett's voice for Vera perfectly conveys her rough-edged persona, now somewhat mellowed by the recent death of her former team member, Holly. With Cleeves's masterful descriptions and Birkett's ability... 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

You think you know the Beatles story? When you hear this audiobook and the performances of Adam Stevens, Anthony Howell, Emma Gregory, and others, you'll be singing, "I thought I knew you, what did I know?" Based on interviews with the Beatles and their intimate associates in 1980 and 1981, the audiobook is nearly 10 hours of history, often shocking. The Beatles talk about... Read More

Christopher Costa calmly and articulately narrates the daily struggles in the coming-of-age stories of three Puerto Rican boys--Ryan, Giancarlos, and Emmanuel--who live in Kensington, Philadelphia, a poverty-stricken neighborhood dominated by the drug trade. Each boy has different challenges that create barriers to his goal of earning a high school diploma. The author details... Read More

In this audiobook, former detective Marlitt Kaplan finds herself investigating the apparent suicide of a college student. She faces two challenges: She has no official authority, and she has to fight rumors about whether the student had an affair with a popular professor who teaches German. Saskia Maarleveld handles the narration well, shaping the introspective tone of... Read More

Brooklyn, the titular protagonist of this novel, is hard to like. Similarly, Keyonni James provides a less-than-stellar narration of the life of this young woman born into a stiflingly conservative family. The telling of this fascinating mixture of drama and thriller is sadly marred by James as she attempts a heavy New York accent that is so overplayed that most native speakers... Read More

From the start, Emily Joyce gives captivating portrayals of the many characters in this mystery. Initially, her pace is pretty slow and engaging as she allows listeners to get to know the main characters. She eventually picks up the pace that is necessary to deliver the rather involved and slow-moving plot with grace and aplomb. Her depictions of interloping friends who show... Read More

Narrator Kristine Hvam uses a lively yet laid-back tone for this Covid-era story. Listeners meet 13-year-old Coyote, who is furious that her dad hid her mother's ashes for six years. After finally settling down in one place, the feisty and determined Coyote still longs for her mom. She is further angered to learn that the poetry book containing her mother's notes about her... 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 Jaga, who famously doesn’t take kindly to humans. Laser, Fouhey, and Campbell breathe life into the three who are hoping to talk to Baba... Read More

Jessica Clarke narrates this story told by three foster sisters. When a dead body is discovered under their childhood home, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia must confront their past. Each explores her memories of their makeshift family, which was led by the demanding Miss Fairchild. Clarke delivers this winding story as a masterful blend of suspense, drama, and emotional depth. Her... Read More

Anyone with a passing interest in the events taking place in the Middle East likely knows that the history of the region is--to put it mildly--complicated. Friedman is an award-winning journalist who has covered the region for decades. In this 1989 book with an updated introduction, he details the tortured events there from 1979 to the late '80s. With a fine delivery, Friedman... Read More

Peter Ganim narrates this whodunit set in a picturesque coastal town in Maine. When a teenager is found dead at a historic reenactment village, the town's inexperienced detective struggles to investigate calmly--especially because his own daughter was friends with the victim. Ganim's clean articulation and brisk pace keep the listener engaged even through the grisly... Read More

Paul Dateh, Helen Laser, and John Pirhalla guide listeners through the multiple subplots and settings of this mystery. The story begins in Leavenworth, Kansas, with high school basketball star Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend, Alison. While parked on Lover's Lane they're attacked, and Alison and her car disappear. Listeners rejoin Ryan five years later while he's on a law... Read More

David Aaron Baker's compelling performance is precise and full of verve in Preston's latest thriller, which is reminiscent of Michael Crichton's JURASSIC PARK. Baker portrays Agent Cash's cool composure as she investigates a grisly double murder at the Erebus Resort. Baker then morphs into the clipped Australian accent of Erebus's head of security, who explains that the resort... Read More

Carvell Wallace narrates his beautiful memoir with poignant urgency-- and a whole lot of love. Though he recounts trauma he experienced growing up Black and queer in America, he doesn't focus on it. Instead, this audiobook is about healing, connection, and beauty. In short, poetic chapters, he writes about music, making art, cooking, parenting, partnership, sex, and intimacy of... Read More

Thanks to Golden Voice narrator Grover Gardner, listeners will once more get to accompany irascible attorney Andy Carpenter, who reluctantly agrees to defend a mass murderer as a favor to his formidable colleague Marcus Clark. Gardner brings Andy and the supporting cast to life, including his wife, Laura; digital genius, Sam and his quirky crew; and gruff Marcus. Fans will be... Read More

Marisa Blake's vocal agility does justice to the emotional roller-coaster ride of Tatum Vega. When a woman accuses the famous Latinx writer M. Dominguez of sexual harassment, a NEW YORK TIMES reporter contacts Tatum. Now living in Chile, Tatum reexamines her long and complicated relationship with the much older Dominguez. Blake has an impressive emotional command of her... Read More

Alaska Jackson tenderly narrates the author's initial message-- "Please read this story with care"--after she recites a number of content warnings. She powers up her narration as she describes high school graduate Blake's strong feelings for her love, Ella. Jackson's volume and pitch go up when Blake, aided by alcohol, becomes "Big Bad Bee." Her portraits of Blake continue to... 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

Director Susan Seidelman's memoir is enhanced by narrator Jaime Lamchick's lively cadence and bright intonation. Seidelman grew up in suburban Philadelphia, but she desperately wanted to escape to seek adventure and excitement. After completing her film studies at NYU, she lived in the East Village and took part in the punk scene. Her first movie, SMITHEREENS, was screened at... Read More

Megan Tusing brings home this timely story about American intolerance in a time of war. She perfectly portrays reporter Anne Lemire, who is assigned to dispel unfounded rumors in Boston in the weeks before the U.S. enters WWII. Many of the events in the story resonate with current events, in particular, people objecting to involving America in a European war. Lemire is aided in... Read More

With its compelling story and powerful narration, this audiobook keeps listeners invested until the very end. In 1985, Cuban artist Anita de Monte is found dead in New York City. Her death is briefly the talk of the town, but then she's essentially forgotten. In 1998, Raquel Toro, a Puerto Rican first-generation art student, is seeking a topic for her thesis. The story... Read More

Narrator Lauren Fortgang channels the currents of magic and intrigue running throughout Bardugo's layered historical fantasy. Scullery maid Luzia Cotado hopes to remain unnoticed, but when she uses a spell to restore burned bread and fix a torn dress, her ability to cast "little miracles" comes to light. Forced to compete in a dangerous magic competition, she is tutored by the... Read More

Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Rafie’s intensity comes through clearly in Ruiz’s passionate narration. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza. When his family moves to... Read More

Kathleen McInerney superbly narrates this perfect summer listen. Set at the iconic St. Cecelia resort on a secluded Georgia island, the story follows Traci, the widow of the owner's grandson, a former local charged with reviving the hotel's former glory. To do so, Traci builds an on-site dormitory and fills it with a team of impeccable workers, including her niece. Tragedies... Read More

Elizabeth Evans masterfully voices successful crime novelist Eleanor Dash, listeners' new best friend, who gossips about all of the people and craziness around her. Dash's behind-the-scenes insights on writing and publishing, along with her plot notes for her next book, add depth and humor to this story. She even challenges listeners to identify the murderer before the big... Read More

Zura Johnson's smooth voice and careful, meticulous pacing build suspense as a small space crew investigates an abandoned planet while struggling to hold on to their sanity. Isolation in space has brutal, sometimes murderous, consequences, and psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray will do anything to help her crew. But they reject her help, suspicious about her presence due to her... 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

The strength of Eunice Wong's narration is her ability to capitalize on the humor underlying this novel about Young Wang's coming of age in the 1990s. As Young tries to find his own way in the world, Wong breathes life into the diverse cast of characters with an energetic precision that gives this audiobook the feeling of a lively radio drama. Her dexterity helps the listener... Read More

With a sincere, somber, and unhurried delivery, theologian Brian McLaren focuses on the climate crisis facing the world, warning that "complacency is a poor survival strategy." Each chapter begins with reflections from a variety of people: scientists, poets, philosophers, religious leaders, and literary figures. Speaking directly to listeners, McLaren ends each chapter with... Read More

Narrator Helen Laser portrays Billie West, a lonely teen who is growing up poor with a mentally ill mother and a worthless stepfather who eyes Billie like an enticing pastry. Karissa Vacker portrays Cassie, a former rich girl who has high ambitions and the guts to make them happen. The pair meet in childhood and promise each other they'll always be friends. In alternating... Read More

January LaVoy provides a multilayered portrayal of Leah Fox and the tragedy that shapes her life. Leah and her younger brother are on vacation at their grandmother's home in Appalachia when her parents are murdered. Gifted with second sight, Thea "witnesses" the crime and is able to put the killer in jail. LaVoy reveals the devastation felt by the family. Years pass, and Leah... Read More

It makes sense that Christine Blasey Ford would want to narrate the audio version of her memoir about doing her civic duty to testify at the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh's nomination as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. She wants to "set the record straight," and the catharsis wouldn't be as complete if she hadn't been the narrator. She has a distinctive... Read More

Narrators Dion Graham and Mychal-Bella Bowman's grand and lively performances will have young listeners eager to hear every story in this vibrant collection of African- and African-American-inspired tales. Graham creates imaginative and outsized voices for the stories he leads. He excels at portraying heroic and mischievous animals like a greedy baboon and a trickster spider.... Read More

Three young alchemists comprise the heart--and polyamorous trio--of this YA fantasy: hot-tempered Ash, serious academic Ramsay, and disciplined soldier Callum. In a multifaceted and captivating performance, Wes Haas creates unique vocal personas for each. After Ramsay catches Ash doing unlicensed magic, the two agree to join forces to find the legendary Book of Source that... Read More

Jessica Threet narrates a cozy fantasy with romantic elements. Reyna has finally left her position in the Queen's Guard and joined her girlfriend, Kianthe, in the far-away town of Tawney to open the tea and bookshop of their dreams. But the sleepy town of Tawney is not as sleepy as it seems. Threet provides Reyna and Kianthe with accents that differentiate their geographic and... Read More

Brian Troxell navigates this gritty story of Nelson "Nails" McKenna, a backwoods enforcer for McFalls County's crime boss. All is well for Nails until one night in a grimy roadhouse he stands up to some villains who are abusing Dallas, a fun-loving young woman--and he goes too far. With empathy and style, Troxell allows a sense of desperation into his delivery when there's a... Read More

Cindy Kay narrates Dr. Fei-Fei Li's memoir of her life at the vanguard of artificial intelligence (AI) with an emotionally attuned ear. As a teenager, Li's family emigrated from China to the United States, a move that led to both opportunities and challenges. Kay sensitively conveys the author's confidence and vulnerability; her expansive delivery allows listeners to experience... Read More

Narrator Sasha Simon gives voice to 20-something Hera as she figures out who she is in this new audiobook. After exhausting her options at art school, Hera enters the workforce as a content moderator for a news website. Every day she monitors the bad behavior of others, but when she finds herself in an affair with a married colleague, she has to justify her own bad behavior.... Read More

Maya Saroya gives an expressive performance in this thrilling historical fantasy filled with vampires, action, romance, and tea. Saroya portrays Arthie Casimir in a smooth, deadly tone that highlights her fierce determination. Arthie's an outsider in Ettenia, but she's created a safe haven in her tearoom, Spindrift, where her crew serves the best tea to high society by day and... Read More

Emily Raboteau reads with purpose, a clear voice, and a conversational tone that works well for the personal essays in this satisfying audiobook. Her delivery style adjusts to the varied subjects: a sense of wonder at identifying birds, exasperation at dealing with New York City real estate, and empathy for a water-starved Palestinian family. She has a gift for languages; in... Read More

Narrator Rebekah Hinds imbues Hazell's compelling debut with a palpable sense of dread. A London cookbook editor known as Piglet prepares for her wedding, complete with a croquembouche wedding cake she's planning to make herself. Then, just 13 days before the big day, her fiancé, Kit, shares a secret that derails everything. Hinds's portrait of Piglet is a triumph, capturing... Read More

January LaVoy and Will Damron give sterling performances in this audiobook about a woman who is suspected of committing a murder five years earlier and the popular true-crime podcaster who exposes her. LaVoy is simply outstanding as the often funny Lucy Chase; she adopts a sardonic, fatalistic tone that matches Lucy's character. LaVoy also is great in supporting roles,... Read More

Emma Galvin's chilling narration will draw listeners into a small town where four people have mysteriously vanished. Teenaged Nora is shocked to discover that her best friend, Becca, is among the missing and has left behind clues for Nora to follow. Galvin is a seasoned narrator with an array of authentically youthful voices that are put to great use as Nora leans on classmates... Read More

Jeremy Carlisle Parker's lively performance and emotional connection bring a teen fan fiction writer and her favorite fictional character to life. Ivy wakes up to find Weston, the gorgeous magical boy from her favorite show, in her bedroom. With the help of her ex-best friend and crush, along with a new friend, she investigates what brought Weston to life and how he's able to... Read More

In Q&A format, actor Brendan O'Hea asks intriguing questions of world-famous actor/director Judi Dench. The result is absolutely delicious. O'Hea recorded four years of interviews with Dench, but due to her failing eyesight, the audiobook is co-narrated by Barbara Flynn. In a remarkable performance, Flynn laughs, jokes, and calls O'Hea to task when he's wrong--all sounding very... Read More

Isabella Star LaBlanc maintains a steady, direct approach in her narration of this audiobook, which blends mystery, suspense, and family drama. She takes listeners to Backravel, Arizona, a mysterious place that once held sway over Beck's late mother. Now Beck and her sister, Riley, go there seeking answers about their mom. LaBlanc's measured approach is not as effective as it... Read More

When an Amish man is brutally murdered, his shadow life is exposed, and secrets are revealed. Narrator Kathleen McInerney channels Police Chief Kate Burkholder with precision as she investigates the crime. When she discovers the extent to which the victim, Aden Karn, was himself a perpetrator, she is filled with controlled rage. Upon hearing of his toll on others in the... Read More

Tony Award-winning actor Jodie Comer performs this adaptation of Miller's one-woman play with empathy and a thoughtfully calculated pace. Barrister Tessa Ensler is a top criminal defense attorney. Comer's delivery of Tessa's earnest belief in the judicial system lulls the listener into a false sense of security as she clocks win after win through her razor-sharp questioning.... Read More

Happily, another of John McPhee’s classics has been brought to life with this finely narrated audiobook. Golden Voice narrator Edoardo Ballerini performs the work with care for the author’s eloquent descriptions of Deerfield, Massachusetts, as it evolves over the twentieth century—as does its legendary headmaster, Frank L. Boyden, who took over the school in 1902 and stayed in... Read More

Buckle up for another thrilling adventure with Finlay Donavan and her eclectic crew. Angela Dawe returns to narrate Finlay's escapades as a single mom, romance writer, and accidental criminal. Dawe seamlessly captures the essence of each character, from Finlay and her partner-in-crime, Vero, to the diverse supporting cast. Particularly noteworthy is Dawe's skill in portraying... Read More

Torian Brackett ably portrays the members of a colorful spaceship crew in this debut adventure tale, the first of a planned series. Jal, a wary, emotionally wounded ranger, ends up aboard the Ambit, a rattletrap spaceship, with Saint, a quick-tempered XO; Nash, a sarcastic engineer/medic; and Eoan, a holographic ship-AI who loves humans. Responding to a distress call from a... Read More

This new production of the Chinese sci-fi epic may be Rosalind Chao's first turn as an audiobook narrator, but you'd never know it. The veteran actor navigates long stretches of speculative physics and descriptions of shocking violence as ably as she voices colloquies among the characters. Listeners who come to the work from the Netflix adaptation will find Chao's warm,... Read More

Tyla Collier and Raymond Lee offer a spicy yet sweet performance in this fun romance. Liyah and Daniel bump into each other as adults, and it seems that Liyah hasn't forgiven Daniel for a mysterious mistake during their childhood. But she needs Daniel's help so she can secure her dream job as a museum curator, and a bumpy romance blossoms. Both characters are Jewish people of... Read More

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez powerfully narrates her memoir of her experiences in the broken immigration system of the United States and her fight for a better future. Gutierrez's family was split up when her parents' visas expired and they were sent back to Mexico. A high school freshman, she was left alone to raise herself and her younger brother in Arizona. Gutierrez's... Read More

Sheila Heti's latest meditative work comes alive with Kate Berlant's expressive narration. This compilation has an unusual conceit: Heti chose sentences from 10 years of her journal-keeping and then organized them according to the first letter of the first word of each sentence. Consistent themes emerge, including romantic entanglements, financial struggles, writing joys and... Read More

Jeremy Carlisle Parker shows emotional breadth in her portrayal of 17-year-old Rosy Holt, who zealously guards her own and her grandmother's shape-shifting adventures in a remote forest. Parker heightens the initial tension during a dramatic scene in which Rosy saves the life of a princess. The taut plot continues as Rosy hides her secrets while attending magic school in the... Read More

Narrating her memoir, Sloane Crosley delivers ironic humor that balances the horror of back-to-back traumas. Admitting the unlikelihood and disorientation of what happened, Crosley links the vulnerability she felt at a burgled apartment and, a month later, at the suicide of her boss and friend, Russell. Their shared history in the shifting publishing industry serves as a... Read More

Narrator Scott Brick dons a trench coat and breathes life into a former black-ops government assassin code named Orphan X. When Evan Smoak left the Program, he reinvented himself into a righter of wrongs for victims needing a savior. Brick employs perfect timing and emphasis to portray Evan and plays him with heart. Initially asked to find a little girl's dog, he soon finds... Read More

Music and sound effects are beautifully paired with January LaVoy's inviting narration of this adaptation of Coretta Scott King's autobiography for adults. Hymns and soft lyrical strains play in the background as LaVoy describes King's church-based, family-strong youth. Her narration becomes agitated when Coretta asks about the prejudice surrounding her. The music and narration... Read More

Listeners familiar with Abdaal's YouTube channel will instantly connect with his familiar voice, accent, and dynamic delivery. Listeners who are being introduced to Abdaal will quickly respond to his speaking style. He offers a new way of thinking that listeners can apply to transform their lives. Drawing from scientific research, diverse case studies, and personal anecdotes,... Read More

Fran Burgoyne depicts a swoony romantasy between a seamstress and a prince. Niamh O Conchobhair has come to Avaland to improve her future, not to fall in love with the one man she cannot have. Kit Carmine, younger son of the king, is engaged to a woman he does not love. Burgoyne demonstrates Niamh's fierce pride in her heritage by giving her a strong accent she refuses to... Read More

Susan Ericksen's energetic performance is unparalleled in this latest in the futuristic In Death series. Jenna, a teen who is enjoying a live performance of her favorite band, is jabbed at the show by a killer with a needle filled with a deadly combination of pure heroin and other drugs. To top it off, the needle itself is covered in infectious bacteria. Lt. Eve Dallas fears... Read More

Joshua Wichard is phenomenal at narrating this endearing novel, which captures a poignant time in a teenager's life. Thirteen-year-old Houston lives with his single mom and younger brother, Robbie, who has cystic fibrosis. The boys share a dream of traveling to the moon one day, just like their estranged grandpa. Hard work pays off, and Houston is accepted to the Junior... Read More

Author and narrator Yangsze Choo gently narrates this fantasy audiobook about foxes that can transform into dazzlingly beautiful humans. Bao has the ability to tell truths from lies and has been tasked with solving a murder mystery that might involve foxes. Meanwhile, Snow has taken human form and gets a job as a servant, all to aid her in avenging the death of her child. Choo... Read More

Narrator Maria Liatis is superb at portraying both the characters in this novel and the rural environment they inhabit. It's 1990, not far from Interstate 80. Marly and her mother arrive in the Pennsylvania town and soon encounter two brothers, one of which Marly will marry at a young age. But she remains close to both. The discovery of a skeleton in the church attic threatens... Read More

Megan Tusing and Samantha Desz provide a captivating dual performance with confidence, especially when the narration is deliberately unreliable. Kat Bird awakes from a coma, coming face-to-face with her twin sister, Jude. Her memory a blank, Kat must piece together the story of their lives, with Jude's guidance. Secrets come to the surface as Kat puts the pieces of their shared... Read More

Those who listen to this audiobook will learn that Tolstoy was wrong when he said happy families are all alike. There are many kinds of happy families, and they appear in all sorts of configurations here. The novel's focus is on adoption and how it is a positive, uplifting choice for those concerned. The liquid, uplifting voice of Patti Murin tells the story of actress India... Read More

Karissa Vacker performs this complex thriller featuring three sisters and the haunting mystery of who brutally murdered their parents in the family home 14 years earlier. When Emma is forced to return to the home where her parents were killed, she hopes to keep her presence as quiet and temporary as possible. With everything seemingly working against her, Emma has to solve her... Read More

College sophomore Margot mysteriously loses two best friends in the span of two years in this psychological thriller, which should be categorized as a YA audiobook. Narrator Karissa Vacker does her best with the material, which features voluminous scenes of postadolescent self-reflection that are hard to enjoy listening to if you are well past your twenties. Vacker is gifted at... Read More

Narrator Avi Roque conveys all the creeping horror of this sequel to WHAT MOVES THE DEAD. Alex Easton, a retired soldier, travels to their family's hunting lodge in their damp and unwelcoming home country, Gallacia. Alex discovers the lodge cold and empty and learns that the caretaker has died under mysterious circumstances. The villagers are wary of Alex, and the lodge and... Read More

Narrator Cassandra Morris creates a youthful and energetic voice for Chance, a dog who lives in a shelter called Dogtown that houses both living dogs and robotic dogs. Chance befriends one of the robot dogs, named Metal Head. As they both hope to find better lives, Morris captures Chance's upbeat attitude, even as she reveals the tragic events that brought her to Dogtown in the... Read More

Emily Spowage performs this sizzling contemporary romance with a light touch. Gruff former professional football star Alfie is urged by his agent to write his memoir. Curvy, cheerful Mabel applies to be his ghostwriter. When the two are seen together, they're mistaken for a couple. To hide the real nature of their relationship, they pretend to be dating. Spowage brings out the... Read More

The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah’s absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen. An intimate portrait and a sprawling account of a searing time, the story focuses on 20-year-old Frances McGrath, who, in 1965, impetuously chooses the Army Nurse Corps over cotillions and marriage. Whelan brings believable... Read More

What happens after the fairy tale is not always a happy ending. Esther Wane narrates this bewitching extension to the tale of Hansel and Gretel, set in seventeenth-century Germany. Wane's range of character accents brings a magical essence to the story. Fifteen years after they escaped the witch in the gingerbread house, Hans and Greta are having a hard time surviving.... Read More

What starts out sounding like chick-lit fluff, soon takes on the gravitas of a tangled, engrossing mystery. Narrator Stephanie Cannon delivers the bright enthusiasm of Rosie, a senior at Yale and a member of the elite equestrian team. When new girl Annelise, a superb rider and a gifted tarot card reader, joins the team, jealousy, bitterness, and classism overtake the genial... Read More

The latest book by a professor of organizational behavior and a colleague is served well by the upbeat performance of veteran narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins. Much like the principal author's speaking style--a bonus interview with Sutton and his coauthor concludes the production--Hopkins's vocal enthusiasm is prominent but never detracts from the intellectual soundness of these... Read More

Ayse Babahan thoughtfully narrates this coming-of-age story. Ada feels forever suspended between two states of being. She is one person during the school year in California and another during summers spent with her mother and grandmother in a holiday villa along the Turkish coast. In her nineteenth year, when a chance encounter occurs and an old romance rekindles, all the... Read More

Using an ethereal voice and delicate intonation, Zura Johnson elevates this mystery loosely based on ancient Greco-Roman mythology into a captivating listening experience. Tirne, the herald for the god of Autumn, escorts him yearly from the godly to the human world. This time, the magical mirror used for the trip shatters. Tirne loses her exalted herald status, and the human... Read More

This illuminating audiobook provides clarity and a degree of legitimacy to friendships that are central to a person's life but not romantic or sexual. These relationships can take many forms--from friendships that are unusually close and time consuming to committed relationships that involve cohabiting or even raising children. When people in these close relationships are... Read More

Vikas Adam brings a noirish vibe to his first-class narration of this 1952 mystery set in San Francisco. Andy Mills is trying to find his way after being bounced off of the police force because he is gay. An old lover appears, needing help, and Andy is soon working blackmail and murder cases. Adam gives Mills a deep, tough voice for the most part, though it softens for more... Read More

Listeners will have a grand time with Lorelei King's versatile narration of this fictionalized account of the life of famed opera singer Maria Callas. Listeners will feel as though they are globe-trotting alongside Callas as she performs in the classic opera houses of Europe and the U.S. King gives Callas a slightly detached, poised tone as she rehearses and performs, and... Read More

Ana Osorio's narration has hints of Spanish accents, which reflect the Argentinian-Bolivian background of 19-year-old Inez Olivera. Osorio stresses Inez's emotions--her longing for adventure and for her parents, who spend six months a year in Cairo. Their deaths propel headstrong Inez's journey to Egypt, where Osorio gently describes the lavishness of its nineteenth-century... Read More

Celebrated chef Erin French shares glimpses of her Maine past and the familial roots of her favorite recipes, as well as ideas and temptations from her renowned restaurant, The Lost Kitchen. Her recitations of her recipes are both engaging and perfectly paced. One could cook while listening, though the recipes are handily indexed at the end. Interspersed are unscripted chats... Read More

In a practiced-sounding tone, Kristin Atherton narrates this dual- timeline historical fiction revolving around Nazi-era porcelain figurines created at the Allach Porcelain Factory in a sub-camp of Dachau concentration camp. There Clara Vogel searches for her father's identity. Atherton adopts a Midwestern accent for the opening scenes, set in 1993 Cincinnati. The balance of... Read More

Tamaryn Payne and Bert Seymour seamlessly present this mystery, cowritten by Iceland's prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir. Listeners learn of 15-year-old Lara's 1956 murder and the 1986 reopening of the case. Payne and Seymour aptly convey Iceland's 200th Anniversary celebration, the Gorbachev-Reagan Summit, and the country's expanding media. Colorful descriptions of the... Read More

Olivier Award-winning actor Alex Jennings performs this story of murder on a remote Greek island. Famed actress Lana Farrar invites her family and close friend to her private island for Easter break. But what starts out as an idyllic vacation ends in murder. The novel is told from the perspective of Elliot Chase, a playwright who is Lana's closest friend. With his ear for... Read More

Jasmin Savoy Brown's pleasant, dynamic voice captures the climate-razed Earth and the few people selected for survival as part of the Inside Project. Women's rights advocate Jacqueline Mellinder directs its Manhattan location, allowing only women inside in order to eradicate masculinity. Ava is one of those women; her voice is growing steadily dreamier as she lets go of her... Read More

Harrison Knights gives a quietly charming performance of this queer YA retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. He portrays Oliver Bennet, a trans boy who just wants to live openly as himself, with a soft voice that sometimes edges into despair but just as often warms with humor. When Oliver meets Darcy on one of the rare nights he's out in London as himself, they form an instant... Read More

An ensemble of narrators enhances this thriller's absorbing quality. Ruby has been shrouded in mystery since she was abducted at the age of four and returned to her family eight months later. In a series of letters, Ruby discusses the abduction, her wealth, and four deceased husbands. In alternating points of view, listeners learn why Ruby's son, Cam, is reluctant to claim his... Read More

Jesse Vilinsky brings expert narration to another installment of the Wayward Children series. In this ninth book, Antsy, the latest addition to the School for Wayward Children, has the ability to discover portals, which leads her and her friends to a world where dinosaurs roam. Vilinsky creates fun, expressive banter between Antsy and the group as they journey back home,... Read More

Petrea Burchard channels the exhilaration and terror of eighteenth-century pirate life. In Boston in 1726, 17-year-old Hannah Masury finds herself in dire straits when she witnesses the death of a young sailor at the hands of ruthless privateers. Knowing that she must flee Boston, she disguises herself as a cabin boy aboard a pirate vessel captained by the infamous Ned Lowe. In... Read More

Henry Winkler is clearly delighted to tell his own story. He learned to live with dyslexia; understand his odd, strict parents; and succeed at doing what no one thought he could do--become an actor. Perhaps he made it so quickly because he was never told how impossible it would be for a young man with almost no professional acting experience to make it in Hollywood. Trusting in... Read More

André Santana's impressive narration deals with one family's contemporary problems. Cecily, a college instructor, is currently under investigation for sexual misconduct with a student. Her manic mother, Dorothy, is trying to get her life on track with the assistance of a self-help guru by opening a spiritual retreat in Woodstock, New York. And her Uncle Tom is so obsessed with... Read More

Avi Roque is the perfect narrator for this queer YA fantasy. Gem is a nonbinary teen just trying to survive high school in Gracie, Georgia. Their life is upended when a new girl explains that the nightmares they've been having are memories and that they're the reincarnation of an ancient god--one of many who fled their home world long ago. Chaos and adventure ensue. The novel... Read More

Eilidh Beaton's performance is stellar. With panache she takes on the roles of strong-willed aristocratic ladies; stuffy, self-important lords; and capable staff. Self-proclaimed spinster and freethinker Lady Petra becomes concerned when she learns her highborn women friends are disappearing into asylums--or dying. The men are unperturbed. Beaton's spellbinding narration is... Read More

Ron Butler's deft performance fully encompasses this expansive story of political and economic crisis in Haiti, based on true events in 1991. Matt is an American college dropout working at a scuba-diving business when President Aristide is overthrown, pushing the country close to turmoil. After business dries up, Matt partners with a crew to seek deep-sea treasure. As the... Read More

With this audiobook, listeners are immersed in the exotic environment of the Florida Everglades and the bizarre underworld of alligator poaching. John Pirhalla offers a first-rate narration. His facility with accents gives atmosphere to this true-crime work. He varies his tone, pitch, and cadence to good effect, and effectively handles both its hard-boiled police procedural... Read More

Gisela Chípe's sensitive performance combined with Katherine Vaz's artful prose offers a recipe for hours of enchanting listening. With passion and drama, Vaz draws from the true story of John Alves, a Portuguese immigrant. The novel dips into the harsh realities of his life from 1840 through the 1860s, softening it with scenes of magical realism. Chípe brings the magic to... Read More

Chelsea Stephens fully embraces the complexities that result from dragging emotional baggage into a new relationship in this queer rom-com. Olive Murphy's life confirms Murphy's Law: What CAN go wrong WILL go wrong. But when she meets a captivating pilot named Stella after saving a man's life on her first-ever flight, Olive gets a new lease on her once fearful life. To win... Read More

Author and narrator Naomi Klein shares the complicated autobiographical story of how her online presence became entwined with that of another Naomi. A liberal Canadian activist and writer, Klein discovered that her name was being frequently confused with that of an American writer who was sharing false information about COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic. What started as a... Read More

John Stamos begins his performance with everyday language, including a few expletives to emphasize the brash teenager he used to be. He was a wild heartthrob who, despite all his antics, seemed to get what he wanted, which was to be famous and well paid, from the sheer force of his exuberance and personality. As his story progresses, he interjects asides about the famous people... Read More

If the audiobook version of a page-turner is being glued to your speakers, then Brittany Pressley's narration of this slow-burn suspense will have listeners sitting in their cars long after they've parked in their driveways. Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish's life undergoes a complete revamp when she breaks off her engagement with her cheating fiancé. At the same time, she's... Read More

Narrator Natalia Payne delivers a somber yet hopeful performance of this picture-book audio detailing a Ukrainian girl's experiences during the 1932-33 Ukrainian famine/genocide. On her birthday, Zlata, whose name means "golden," receives a blouse embroidered with red threads for love and black for sadness. These emotions are woven into the fabric of her life as her family... Read More

Feodor Chin recounts this illuminating story of a Chinese American youth sent to an institution for those with leprosy, more benignly called Hansen's disease. Taking place in the 1950s, it is a coming-of-age novel that includes phobias, prejudice, teen romances, family obligations, and a considerable amount of medical information. Chin, an experienced actor, displays his skills... Read More

Zim Avaltrades narrates from the perspective of 26-year-old soccer veteran Grace Henderson, and Dana Varden portrays 22-year-old rookie Phoebe Matthews. Henderson and Matthews find themselves playing for the same team, in more ways than one. While jokester Phoebe is hoping to score on and off the field with her childhood icon, secretive Grace is busy hiding her hip injury and... Read More