Candace Joice performs this fictionalization of Julia Child's overseas service in WWII with brio. While her narration can veer into the melodramatic, its eagerness matches the author's enthusiastic writing style. In conversational sections, Joice's delivery becomes more low-key as she creates nuanced vocal portraits of a range of characters. She also does an impressive job of... Read More

Adam Barr is particularly effective narrating military histories and biographies of celebrated commanders. Barr brings the proper spit and shine to this abbreviated biography of a general whose public remarks as president often seemed fumbling and impenetrable--perhaps deliberately. Barr tracks the steady path of Dwight Eisenhower's rise in the military establishment. While he... Read More

Charming characters populate this delightful series debut, wonderfully narrated by Philip Battley. City-dweller Addison Harper travels to the tiny New Zealand town of Milverton to deal with an inheritance from an uncle he barely remembers. He meets a snarky attorney whose irritating manner causes his blood to boil. When Addison finds the attorney murdered later that night,... Read More

In barely seven hours, this fascinating and well-researched audiobook opens a window into a science many listeners may not know exists: thanatology, the study of death and its effects. Do animals understand death, and if so, how? The examples--which include elephants, primates, and possums--provide criteria for answering these questions, often with unexpected results. Lisa Ware... Read More

Eunice Wong's narration of this debut novel captures the essence of its story with a perfect deadpan tone. Linh Ly is confronted with a multitude of challenges that disrupt her routine. First, she finds herself coping with her mother's new dating life and with an active shooter lockdown at work. She's also experiencing palpable anxiety as she grapples with her past, family... Read More

Julian Elfer narrates this in-depth exploration of life in Paris from the summer of 1870 to the spring of 1871. As Napoleon's monarchy fell, Parisians starved and struggled to survive the bloody street battles of the Paris Commune. Elfer is riveting as he delivers art critic Smee's well-researched account of this chaotic period. Artists Manet, Morisot, and Degas remained in... Read More

Joel Richards narrates the fourth Saint of Steel romance-tinged fantasy. When Marguerite Florian runs afoul of a previous employer, she hires a paladin named Shane to protect her. Unfortunately, Shane and Marguerite must battle their attraction for each other, as well as enemies who are out to kill them. Richards's wry and at times dry tone adroitly highlights the humorous... Read More

Returning to the scene of a nightmarish event that forever changed the course of five close friends' lives should be an experience brimming with tension and fear. But in this production, narrator Joe Hempel's lackluster approach detracts from the urgency at the core of the story. Hempel's slow-paced, straightforward approach to the characters, each of whom deserves more of an... Read More

Author Meik Wiking uses a soothing and peaceful tone to narrate the history and philosophy of the Danish concept of hygge. He comprehensively explains its foundations, focusing on how prioritizing a pleasant atmosphere and immersing oneself in life's simple joys can lead to happiness. Wiking is engaging, enjoyable, and comfortable with his narration as he explains how to... Read More

EJ Lavery's heartfelt narration captures a landscape of emotions and family dynamics in this coming-of-age novel. Lavery's firm yet gentle tone captures the tension and love within Cruzita's family as they try to keep alive the legacy of her great-uncle's bakery and Cruzita's dreams of becoming a pop star. Most convincing are Lavery's portrayals of teenager Cruzita's... Read More

This fun and evocative audiobook begins with narrator Paul Woodson's authoritative and upbeat delivery of the author's many accounts of urban wildlife. Keim's description of San Francisco's coyote population, performed with an air of respect and wonder, is particularly joyful. Woodson shifts his tone as the author discusses his deadly serious new vision for wildlife science and... Read More

In this rich audiobook about all kinds of performance, narrator Paul Boehmer's slow pacing and palpable understanding of the material fit the author's broad thinking. Boehmer sounds perfectly compatible with Sennett's stature and advanced age (81). Sennett's writing is always broad and moving and, in this case, has particular relevance to the political performances that... Read More

Marvel Comics fans will love this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of many of the company's lesser-known characters, such as Killraven, Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, and others. Todd Menesses delivers a punchy, well-paced work with welcome enthusiasm about the subject matter. Clearly, he gets it. There is a slight problem with his pronunciation of some words like "genre,"... Read More

Bob Souer narrates this horrific account of the two failed expeditions in Arctic Canada led by Captain Sir John Franklin. Listeners hear excerpts from journals, letters, and scientific notes, along with the oral history of Indigenous peoples. The author, who has written extensively on Canada's arctic wilderness, incorporates the latest theories on why Franklin failed so... Read More

Tom Straw, the original author of the Richard Castle books, brings his signature fast-paced plot, snappy dialogue, and gutsy characters to this mystery. Celebrity Chef Sebastian Pike is coerced into letting the CIA use his food show as cover to extradite a high-ranking mole from Russia. CIA Agent Cammie Nova, acting as show producer, provides the spy connection and the love... Read More

Daniel Henning captures the love and fascination that biologist and lifelong bee fan Seeley holds for bees--creatures he has admired, studied, and puzzled over his whole professional life. Henning captures the narrative thread weaving through Seeley's ample science, drawing listeners in as they're educated on the fascinating and complex world of bees. In 20 chapters of lively... Read More

This intelligent and important overview of ocean science and climate change by an oceanographer and a science journalist is narrated by Suzie Althens. Sadly, her over-enunciation and slow pace result in a ponderous delivery of its fascinating details. In addition, Althens's upspeak is distracting, and her tone may confuse some listeners as it doesn't always match the content.... Read More

Theater historians will applaud Jeffery Kennedy's exhaustive research and Daniel Henning's winning performance as the legacy of the founders and artists of the Provincetown Players is explored. Starting in 1915, the Provincetown Players encouraged innovative practices that became part of the American theater scene. Young playwrights were urged to experiment with new ideas and... Read More

Not many 13-year-olds have favorite mathematicians, but Jamie O'Neill is not an ordinary 13-year-old. He's a math genius; he's stuck mourning the loss of his mother, who died when he was born; he's on the spectrum; and he's voiced by the very fine Gary Furlong. Jamie and his father, Eoin (Owen), live in a small fishing town on the west coast of Ireland, where Jamie is starting... Read More

Hawaiian actor Kaipo Schwab performs the first published novel by a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In the middle of WWII, Cowney Sequoyah is hired to be a groundskeeper at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. While there, he learns more about the Axis diplomats being held prisoner at the inn. But when a Japanese girl goes missing, the U.S.... Read More

An ardent fan of the musical play offers a richly detailed portrait of the complicated lyricist who wrote OKLAHOMA, SHOWBOAT, and other timeless Broadway hits, Oscar Hammerstein. In the rapidly changing social climate he worked in (pre- and post-WWII), he was flawed as a man but created uplifting, socially progressive storylines that made audiences envision a more just and... Read More

To help keep her family's home from foreclosure, 12-year-old Sarah Greene and her escape room friends, Hannah and West, break into an abandoned 1950's fun house to find the legendary treasure hidden inside. Narrator Eleanor McCormick expressively channels her youthful side, as well as Sarah's levelheadedness, Hannah's spunky comebacks, and West's silliness as they go through... Read More

Christopher P. Brown performs this intimate memoir of a son's fraught relationship with his mother after she discovers he's gay. During the first year of the Covid pandemic, Corcoran's mother dies, leaving him and his two sisters to handle her affairs. From there, Corcoran takes listeners back through their complex relationship, sharing how his mother's homophobia has followed... Read More

Allyson Johnson performs a story revolving around generations of Black women in a small Kentucky town named Opulence. Minnie Mae, the matriarch of her family, strives to keep her secrets buried deep. In another family, a young widow named Francine Clark mysteriously becomes pregnant long after her husband has died. Johnson captures these beautifully written characters, imbuing... Read More

Livingstone's audiobook surveys theories about the impact of climate on humankind from classic times to modern. Derek Perkins's interpretation helps keep the deeply learned and formally written work more approachable than it might be if read on one's own. His voice is strong, his accent pleasing, and his speech crisp, clear, and finely attuned to the sense of the text. Perkins... Read More

David Gibbins's essays on historic shipwrecks, some of which he has seen firsthand as a diver, branch out into a lot of detail about what was found when exploring them and what was going on around the times of the wrecks. Kent Klineman pauses a lot as he narrates, sounding cautious about getting names and details right. It's rough listening at first, but Klineman's staccato... Read More

Kate Coventry's gentle narration affects a tone of wonder as she describes the author's communication with animals and the spiritual relationship she has with them. The author's lifelong relationship with wildlife started early in childhood; her father was a forester. She describes such topics as women's roles in scientific study, the Covid lockdown's effect on drawing animals... Read More

This detailed and well-organized account of American music's most prominent evolutionary decades--the 1840s, 1920s, and 1950s-- provides a fascinating overview of the way popular music changed in response to a variety of factors over the past 180 years. While artists arriving from Europe were influential at the start of the 1800s, music also came to change because of... Read More

In a measured yet appreciative tone, Elizabeth Wiley narrates a fascinating, fact-filled celebration of the first women scholars, diarists, and collectors to help uncover the historic riches of ancient Egypt. Amelia Edwards, Marianne Brocklehurst, and Maggie Benson, who was the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, may not be household names, but their... Read More

Narrator Kate Udall chronicles the life of the greatest grifter of the Gilded Age, a woman who was known as Cassie Chadwick. Through her cunning, business acumen, and total lack of scruples, Cassie lived a life of luxury. She was able to take advantage of the vanity, cupidity, and credulity of the bankers, lawyers, and businessmen of her day. Udall narrates this biography... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns the listener to the world of the psy-changelings. Remi Denier, the leopard changeling, has a mysterious new neighbor named Auden Scott, who is a psy. Auden is pregnant and has a brain injury that has left her with memory gaps and two personalities. One of them has the cold demeanor of the psy, and the other is warm and caring. Dawe successfully... Read More

Curtis Michael Holland brings an even yet conversational tone to this expansive four-century (1540-1940) history of the North American Indian. Concentrating on marginalized and often overlooked peoples of the American Southwest, this audiobook focuses on how the Paiute, Ute, and the author's own Shoshone tribes used their unique geography, lifeways, and violence to attempt to... Read More

This Regency-era mystery will baffle and delight listeners. In a soothing, self-assured voice, Allie Rose portrays a headstrong duchess who struggles to clear her husband's name when he is found drenched in blood beside the murdered body of an opera singer. Audrey, the attractive Duchess of Fournier, knows her gentle, intellectual husband, who is homosexual, is innocent despite... Read More

Christina Delaine narrates with such an engaging conversational tone that listeners will feel they're active participants in this memoir by the FBI's first female forensic sculptor. One minute Delaine urges listeners to prepare for a grisly discussion of forensics practices; the next she's describing hostile bullying by a male manager. The range of the material is broad, and... Read More

The fifth volume of Vo's Singing Hills Cycle, which can be listened to as a stand-alone, would be challenging for any narrator. The fantasy begins as a marriage is arranged in ancient China. Then the story takes a turn toward the paranormal. Narrator Cindy Kay voices protagonist Cleric Chih, as well as secondary characters ranging from haughty royalty to lowly estate workers.... Read More

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

Narrator Bianca Drew introduces listeners to Georgina Wilcox and her three sisters. They are of African descent and born into the family of a successful businessman, their grandfather. Their trials and tribulations begin with the death of sister Catherine's husband, who, it turns out, has drained the company's coffers of money. Drew captures all the anxiety of these events.... Read More

Josh Bloomberg and Sharon Freedman narrate this collection of stories exploring the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Each chapter describes a ritual of the traditional Passover meal, called the Seder. Each chapter ends with a set of questions about how young people can connect these rituals to their own lives. Bloomberg and Freedman are enthusiastic narrators of... Read More

Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies brings his considerable talent to one of Graham Greene's best-known novels. James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner retailer, invents a spy ring in order to cover his daughter's extravagances. Davies manipulates accents, vocal tones, and pitch ranges to bring the characters to life. He enhances the novel's dark (sometimes very dark) humor, as well. The... Read More

Joe Barrett does a wonderful job narrating Waite Hoyt's autobiography, a fascinating account of the veteran pitcher, born in 1899. Among his teams were the New York Yankees. Barrett's gentle tone has a slight East Coast accent that fits the Brooklyn-raised Hoyt. The account ranges from Hoyt's upbringing to his time in the minors and then his twenty-one-year Major League career.... Read More

In this Regency-era story, narrator Harry Frost takes listeners on a journey with three best friends who are embarking on their annual trip, which holds a special place in their hearts. Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, is eager to get away when he receives a request to help staunch a disastrous scandal involving an elopement gone wrong and his childhood friend,... Read More

Keval Shah fully understands the assignment when he narrates this funny, sexy, action-packed story of good vs. evil. Or dim vs. dimmer, as the case might be. It's never a good day when one wakes up with no memory and then learns one is an evil wizard. With all the problems his previous self left him with, Dread Lord Gavrax has picked a fine time to start being "good." Shah's... Read More

Narrators Allyson Johnson and Diontae Black enchant listeners with this stellar follow-up to the award-winning earlier anthology NEW SUNS: ORIGINAL SPECULATIVE FICTION BY PEOPLE OF COLOR. This collection of 18 stories from authors such as Tananarive Due, Nghi Vo, and John Chu covers monsters, aliens, space flight, interplanetary relations, and more. Running through the... Read More

Holly Chandler depicts the romance between wedding coordinator Mae Wallace and actor Kane August. Mae meets Kane when a film company uses the vineyard where she works as a movie set. Mae finds herself thrust together with Kane when she's needed to act as a stand-in for a missing actress. Kane is from Texas, and Chandler gives him a pleasant slight drawl. Mae was betrayed in the... Read More

Filmmaker and novelist Priyanka Kumar narrates her essay collection in a gentle voice. The works focus on her birding experiences, which are infused with personal memories. Sometimes she sees other wild creatures. At one point, she even sees a bobcat out the window of her New Mexico home. Her voice softens as she shares a peaceful experience watching cranes. Kumar doesn't go... Read More

Oscar Reyes is the voice of this messy threesome-secret-male-occult society-urban-fantasy-novel. Rich-boy David is a high-powered attorney by day and a medium by night. When an ancestral curse comes to fruition, he must reach out to Rhys, his ex-boyfriend and rival in magic, and Moira, Rhys's wife. Reyes makes a valiant attempt at narration but does little more than read aloud,... Read More

Narrator Diontae Black delivers a wide-ranging and thoughtful performance of the estranged Solomon siblings, who reunite to bury their father and save their ancestral land. Black's voice is reserved and introspective for eldest son Junior--whose failing marriage and secret boyfriend could cost him everything. Black adds gravel to his voice for Mance, a family man who is trying... Read More

Allen Ginsberg was one of the important poets of the last century, and any opportunity to survey his substantial oeuvre is welcome. Narrator Greg D. Barnett is strong on the meaning and emotional content of the poems. Mispronunciations will take some listeners out of the poems, many of which are distinctly embedded in the political and spiritual events of Ginsberg's time. Other... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice Soneela Nankani immerses listeners in 1920s India on the eve of a visit from Edward, Prince of Wales. This third installment in the Bangalore Detectives Club series is rife with intrigue, politics, and the fight for autonomy--for women, for the lower classes, and for India itself. Nankani's brisk, distinctly voiced performance is riveting as she expertly... Read More

Nelson Hobbs and C.J. Bloom depict the romance between Viggo Bergman and Tallulah Clarke. The pair agree to be roommates in order to achieve their personal goals of opening a bookstore and finishing a thriller, respectively. Hobbs captures Viggo's thoughtful and romantic personality. Viggo's humorous dialogue as delivered by Hobbs contrasts with his internal doubts and fears.... Read More

Christina Delaine's Russian accent is without equal in this expansive family story. Zhenia awaits the birth of her first child at the same time that she anticipates the loss of her beloved grandmother. Out of the blue, she is contacted by a psychic who offers her the opportunity to communicate with her great-grandmother, whose story provides context for Zhenia's own personal... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator Soneela Nankani performs the story of Sónia, a teenage poet who is living in Portugal during the 1960s. The dictatorial government there at that time upends Sónia's life. The rebel of her family, she and her now imprisoned boyfriend are blamed for her family's downfall. To survive, Sónia clashes with both the dictatorship and the demands of her family.... Read More

This brief series of recollections by the late NEW YORKER writer, journalist, and photographer Janet Malcolm is narrated authoritatively by Maria Tucci, who captures the self-revelatory tone of Malcolm's memories. The text is a series of reactions to the snapshots and photos that precede each chapter. Most of the early parts, though honey hued, are candid appraisals of her... Read More

Tanya Eby gives a clear delivery in a precise style. She is an intelligent narrator who skillfully paces this heady appraisal of the famed English author George Orwell. These days the term "Orwellian" seems to be equally availed by the right, left, and center, all of whom appropriate his two most famous novels, ANIMAL FARM and 1984. This tightly argued, biographically based... Read More

Wyeth Watts and Marnye Young narrate a complex and emotional romance about the nuances of finding out the truth. Jess Greene raised her younger sister, Tegan, after their mother ran off 10 years ago. When Adam Hawkins suddenly shows up with his boss, a true- crime podcaster, the sisters have the opportunity to learn what happened to their mother. Young captures all of Jess's... Read More

Nicky Endres is the perfect narrator for this work of queer nonfiction, first published in 2019 and now available on audio. Thom's essays explore the contradictions and complexities of queer and trans communities and social justice movements. She writes about how communities talk about--and don't talk about--suicide, abuse, conflict, family making, sex work, and more, always... Read More

Justine Eyre once again returns listeners to a world in which angels and vampires exist alongside humans. Archangel Raphael and his consort, Elena, are meeting with the other ruling archangels when the Refuge, the site where young angels are cared for, is rocked by an earthquake. Eyre immediately ratchets up the tension as the pair scramble to save the young. Elena's father,... Read More

Raquel Beattie narrates a dystopian horror novella with subtle elements of mystery. Rose House, both architectural marvel and sentient AI, has contacted the China Lake Police regarding a dead body within its walls. Beattie creates a wholly unsettling persona for Rose House, giving just enough menace to the flat AI tone that the unnatural state of its existence is forcefully... Read More

James Cameron Stewart's masterful performance whisks listeners into a postapocalyptic world shrouded in buried secrets and impending mayhem. There's a haunting quality in his portrayal of the villagers on an idyllic island that is run by three scientists and inhabited by 122 survivors of a deadly fog. Stewart's expressive voice conveys the villagers' bewilderment and growing... Read More

Diontae Black and Griswold Addams narrate the second Moonlighters novella, a queer romance. Kai was the last person Aiden expected to see at karaoke night as he's waiting for his best friend to arrive. Neither did he expect that bad weather would keep his friend from showing up. As Kai and Aiden spend the evening together, they discover their long-held impressions of each other... Read More

Vanessa Johansson adds a youthful, energetic tone to this backstage melodrama. Dance moms and close friends Ever, Josie, and Lindsay-- who are the mothers of Bea, Savvy, and Olive--deal with critical personal issues, but each is always ready to do whatever's necessary to advance her ballet-dancing daughter. Johansson believably handles the heated competition to win choice roles... Read More

Michael Langan's narration infuses curiosity and delight into this memoir and guidebook on sustainability. The authors moved into a 1930s lodge when Peter accepted work as a forester in northwestern Germany. Langan's gentle, uplifting tone captures their enthusiastic but not fanatical attitude during their quest for self-sustainability and small-scale farming. Through his... Read More

Paul Bellantoni impeccably presents a small village and its superstitious inhabitants in this look at WWII from an Italian perspective. Listeners join Ezio, who's dedicated to his job as a policeman despite needing a cane. Bellantoni conveys life as Mussolini's Fascists and the Nazis terrify everyone. When Ezio arrests a longtime Jewish resident, his conscience requires him to... Read More

Carmen Rose narrates this sapphic horror/romance with a sardonic wit that makes for an immersive listening experience. Shesheshen is a shape-shifting monster who, weary of devouring an endless line of hunters seeking to eradicate her kind, constructs a makeshift human body and infiltrates the human world. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Homily, a human woman who is... Read More

Deepa Samuel reads crisply and does well with the various languages in this globe-spanning audiobook. Her carefully articulated style makes this history/memoir with travel stories vivid. The author, a Muslim Indian woman now living in Brooklyn, brings a unique point of view to this "irreverent history of travel." As a woman of color, she has experienced what she describes as... Read More

This audiobook is a paean to birds. It's almost poetry, and author Jack Gedney's lyrical style is exactly suited to listening, perhaps even more so than reading. The text is peppered with images like this, referring to Golden-crowned Sparrows: "Their crowns shine in the fading afternoon light." Narrator Jonathan Todd Ross captures the author's style; Ross's smooth voice and... Read More

Narrator Abigail Reno creates an energetic voice for 8-year-old genius Angeline, who despite her young age is entering the sixth grade. Her new teacher, Mrs. Hardlick, gives her a hard time, and she struggles to fit in with her classmates. Her only respite from class is her friendship with fifth-grader Gary and his teacher, Miss Turbone. Reno captures Angeline's frustration and... Read More

Jason Grasl performs Ned Blackhawk's National Book Award-winning history of the Native peoples of what is now known as the United States. From contact with early conquistadors of New Spain to the Indigenous activists of the mid-twentieth century, this sweeping work illuminates the histories of Indigenous peoples. Grasl's performance maintains the listener's attention through... Read More

Mao Zedong's ten-year Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) forever changed Chinese society and family structure. With a deliberate, evenhanded delivery, Asian American narrator Rebecca Lam traces the origins and repercussions of the attempt to purge bourgeois and capitalistic thoughts and tendencies from hundreds of millions of Chinese minds. A million people died, millions more... Read More

Rosemary Benson's clear, melodic narration aids the listener in following the myriad threads that Emily Monosson weaves in this fascinating audiobook on fungi. Some fungi are good. But there is also a parade of horribles--such as the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, which is decimating bat populations; rusts that have already pushed some chestnut trees into extinction;... Read More

After personally struggling with anxiety over uncertainties in her life, business consultant and life coach Allison Carmen offers a short but precise discussion of how to face challenging times with positivity. Exuding a comfortable air and a feminine persona, narrator Kim Niemi delivers the author's mindset on the importance of being present and recognizing that what is... Read More

Allie Rose's light, genteel performance is just right for the fourth novel in Cara Devlin's Bow Street Duchess series. Once again, Lady Audrey and Bow Street runner Hugh Marsden must solve a baffling puzzle. When his half-sister, Eloisa, is brutally murdered during a ball, Hugh becomes the prime suspect. Meeting in secret, Hugh and Audrey set out to prove his innocence and to... Read More

Avery Kidd Waddell delivers a commanding narration. He confidently conveys the scope of this new edition of one of the most influential audiobooks on the history of race, which dismantles the myth of a post-racial society. Kendi's work investigates the histories of six historical figures, including Thomas Jefferson, W.E.B Du Bois, and Angela Davis. Their actions, writings, and... Read More

For any nature lover, this audiobook is nearly irresistible. Bjorgaas, a biologist, takes a close look at the ways insects, birds, mammals, trees, and plants adapt to life in the more densely populated human environs. The anecdotes are vividly written and fascinating, albeit somewhat awkwardly organized. Mary Helen Gallucci is an earnest narrator who does a fine job with pace,... Read More

Eli Grober narrates his collection of dystopian satires with deadpan self-assurance. It's the ideal voice for the 100 essays--none longer than eight minutes--with titles such as "'I'm Only Joking,' I Say As I Kill You" and "How I Saved Enough To Buy a House With My Parents' Money." One of Grober's more sincere readings can be heard in "The Telescope We Sent to Deep Space Wants... Read More

Kim Bretton infuses Rebecca May Johnson's food memoir with a quiet but breathless energy that makes it feel almost like a page-turner. Johnson spent more than 10 years cooking the same recipe for a simple tomato sauce hundreds of times. In this memoir, she investigates how we think about recipes, combining food writing, literary criticism, feminist scholarship, and social... Read More

David de Vries narrates the autobiography of Ludwig Bemelmans, known best as the creator of the beloved Madeline children's books and for his distinct style of illustrations. The audiobook includes the author's observations and activities in Hollywood during the 1950s, with a particular focus on his friendship with the glamorous late-in-life "First Lady of Interior Decoration,"... Read More

Noah James Butler guides listeners through what scientists know about life's origins and what remains a puzzle with excitement and a well-placed sense of awe. He narrates clearly at a steady pace, allowing those who may be unfamiliar with medical terminology time to absorb researcher Ben Stanger's findings. This pairs well with Stanger's accessible, energetic writing style. The... Read More

Peter Noble's English accent gives an authoritative quality to this history of the Soviet Union in the decade-and-a-half from Stalin's death in 1953 to the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Hornsby describes the great upheavals of the "thaw" that happened after Stalin's death and the Soviet feats in the space race. He also describes how the life of the common citizen changed... Read More

Magic, mystery, and history meet when the old-fashioned spectacles Winna's grandfather gives her grant wishes. Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt depicts Winna's youth with a bright voice. Her slightly hesitant delivery is central to Winna's tone of intelligence tempered by having to be polite to a world of fools. Winna has enough worries with her mom being sick in the hospital and... Read More

With a youthful delivery, narrator Lu Banks depicts the anger and confusion of a 12-year-old girl who is traumatized by the loss of her beloved brother in an apparent drowning near their favorite fishing spot. In the wake of the tragedy, their mother, an ornithologist, goes in and out of mental institutions. Then, the girl is left to her own devices when her father is convicted... Read More

Tiffany Morgan narrates this novel set during the Civil War in rural North Carolina. Fifteen-year-old Henry McBride steals off to enlist, and his mother, Joetta, sends his father, Ennis, off to bring him home. Joetta's refusal to support either side makes her a target in her community, especially after she performs a daring act of kindness. Morgan's measured cadence brings the... Read More

Listeners will enjoy this deliciously twisted tale dynamically narrated by the author. Lozada-Oliva explores intergenerational trauma as three generations of women find themselves caught up in a zombie apocalypse. Elderly Guatemalan immigrant Candelaria kills her octogenarian boyfriend. Surrounded by chaos in Boston, she desperately and inexplicably tries to get to the Old... Read More

Shawn K. Jain and Deepa Samuel are dual narrators of this rom-com with a woman in a hijab at the center. They trade between them the chapters that make up this humorous, charming contemporary novel of manners. Sana Saeed must find a suitor that pleases her mother or lose the chance to be her younger autistic brother's guardian. With the seemingly hopeless search losing steam,... Read More

Sophia Thakur narrates her collection of poems exploring aspects of womanhood, joined by Nalini Thakur for some individual pieces. Author Thakur's voice is whispery, slow, insistent--demanding listeners' attention. They should give it, for each poem stands on its own, offering occasional internal rhymes and often startling figurative language. They provide glimpses of hearts... Read More

Gabrielle Baker's posh London accent adds a classy touch to this intriguing study of financial devolution. As defined by the author, tokens are "things that are almost but not quite money." For example, ancient Mesopotamia's clay tokens signified a share in the grain harvest. In modern times, tokens include phone cards, discount coupons, frequent-flier miles, pre-loaded EBT... Read More

Structural engineer Roma Agrawal cheerfully tells listeners that she was the type of kid who snapped crayons to see their insides. Narrating in an accent that blends India and Britain, she good-humoredly shows listeners she still is that kid. Her joviality and personal touches make her stories of important inventions relatable. She slips in puns and jokes, and makes light of... Read More

Close your eyes (unless you're driving) and enter a dystopian world of Banshee warriors who are fighting an oppressive patriarchy in this beautifully narrated new novel, a sequel to LAST ONES LEFT ALIVE. At first, the listener may be a little overwhelmed by the complex plot; however, Esther Wane's lilting Irish accents invite them to persevere. Orpen is a strong protagonist who... Read More

Renowned VILLAGE VOICE dance critic Deborah Jowitt has written an informative biography of the legendary modern dance choreographer, performer, and teacher Martha Graham. Erin Bennett delivers a sophisticated yet relaxed performance of the text. Three cheers for an enchanting effort so well matched to the book at hand. Bennett's tone and intonation are solid--in all respects... Read More

Successfully conveying teenage angst, David Lee Huynh infuses his performance with longing and youthful doubt as he delivers the story of Gary Võ. Gary and his best friend would do anything to be popular in high school. Then the notorious "Rooster Club" learns that Gary has befriended the most beautiful girl in school, Gloria. They challenge Gary to steal something from Gloria... Read More

This first-person recollection of a love affair, first published in 1930, is given a splendid narration by Derek Perkins. The title refers to the main character's responses to his love interest's seeming lack of transparency. The author, born Nikolai Freudenstein in Saint Petersburg, was a well-known writer of the Russian diaspora in Paris after the Russian Revolution. He died... Read More

Through this audiobook, listeners will come to see Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis as a living bridge from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to President Barack Obama. The force behind the concept of "good trouble," Lewis was inspired to become a minister and to join the Civil Rights movement after hearing King preach over the radio. Lewis was just a boy at the time. His life,... Read More

Kohn's history of the "old town" sections of some German, Baltic, and Eastern European cities calls for the kind of careful and intelligent performance that Philip Battley delivers. Not a travelogue, but rather a general, architectural, and political history, Kohn's book is detailed, fact heavy, and sometimes dry. Battley's British-accented voice is not immediately striking but... Read More

Grover Gardner imbues this exploration of a charming section of rural New Jersey, first published in 1968, with a knowledgeable and authoritative tone. The celebrated and groundbreaking NEW YORKER reporter John McPhee runs into several colorful characters, now long gone, during his visit. This look back at a simpler, more rural time both entertains and informs. Gardner's even... Read More

Nicky Endres delivers this urban fantasy, making it sound like they are speaking directly to the listener. Magic has been monetized--with strict legal requirements and the call-center corporation One Wizard filtering all magical requests. Journeyman Wen is burned out from fielding angry customer calls and appeasing senior mages. But when a frantic call from a young man who is... Read More

Jon Vertullo narrates this ecological warning with an even tone and a deliberate pace. His thoughtful delivery allows the detailed and meticulous reporting to speak for itself, that is, without excessive drama. His task is made easier by author Miller's crisply written journalistic reports from three sites: northeast Japan, where in 2011 seawalls were no match for a massive... Read More

Leon Nixon narrates this novella like it's the latest news from a friend who just experienced something eerie and revelatory. The story features a man named Martin, aka Temple, who himself is the cure for a deadly virus. Nixon's pace and tone are engaging as he believably embodies characters who are rivals. However, he sounds slightly odd when he narrates the sultry voice of... Read More

Listeners will be curious to compare the historic 1932 election year with our own--though the issues and the candidates were very different. Franklin Roosevelt, the patrician New York governor, roundly defeated Herbert Hoover, a competent technocrat who was oddly out of touch with his constituents. David Stifel brings both men and their era to life with the authoritative... Read More

Allyson Voller introduces listeners to Robert Archambeau's colorful portrait of Jazz Age Paris, including Gertrude Stein's famous salons. When Ida Caine, an American would-be artist, meets Stein and her partner, Alice, and many other period luminaries, including T.S. Eliot, André Breton, and Ernest Hemingway, she is awestruck. But when her husband disappears and Alice goes... Read More

Rattlesnakes are just one of the creatures science writer-turned-academic Robles ponders as she blends her own perspectives and historical writings into this audiobook of essays on the human study of various species, such as coral and sharks. Narrator Daniela Acitelli brings a sense of wonder to a Native American story about the rattlesnake world. Her pace increases with... Read More

Adam Goodheart shares his experiences visiting "the most isolated people in the world" on North Sentinel, in the Andaman Islands in India's Bay of Bengal. In this audiobook he shares accounts of their history. Will Tulin calmly narrates Goodheart's first visit, leaving room for amazement at flying fish and dolphins. Tulin reflects Goodheart's lament over the plastic trash that... Read More

In stately British tones, Rachael Beresford presents this novella fictionalizing the life of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, a fanatical and virulently anti-Semitic Dominican friar who lived in Florence at the end of the fifteenth century. Beresford's crisp recitation seeps through the life, actions, sermons, and ultimately forced confession of Savonarola at the Inquisition trial that... Read More

Four men, four environmental philosophies, three wilderness settings. From these various and, at times, competing perspectives, author John McPhee weaves a deep debate over how to best protect the future of the planet and humanity. Grover Gardner's clear, conversational narration makes these sometimes complex discussions easy for listeners to follow. There's no false drama, but... Read More

Aven Shore does it again, this time offering a deft, versatile, immersive performance of a genre-bending queer sci-fi Western. The Stranger's ship crashes on a cold and broken Earth; thus begins her long journey to reunite with her love. Each chapter puts another obstacle in her path--a train car murder mystery, a quest to deliver a drug-toting tortoise, a run-in with a... Read More

In this sweet and sexy queer romance, Sam, a history professor, and fat-positive Lily, an amateur seamstress, meet at their favorite karaoke bar. Aven Shore and Yvonne Roberts perform from Sam's and Lily's perspectives. Their empathetic performances embrace the insecurities that follow their first exhilarating evening together. Sam's vulnerability about their nonbinary gender... Read More

Midnite Michael's achievement is capturing the spirit of a classic Western while at the same time giving this biographical novel a contemporary feel. Thompson tells the story of Bass Reeves. Born enslaved just before the Civil War, Reeves grew to become a celebrated U.S. marshal. Reeves, an expert marksman from a young age, was forced to endure abuse by his enslaver as he took... Read More

Hannah Curtis's delightfully dry voice narrates this academic-sounding audiobook. Chapters flit through time and topics to cover various Dickensian literary landmarks in and around London, using many primary sources, including century-old tourism guides. Jackson discusses the history of Victorian literary tourism, the challenges of authenticating sites, and the reasons for... Read More

A great opportunity to explore the development of the iconic entertainer Ella Fitzgerald is thwarted here. While there's little new information, author Judith Tick succeeds in compiling an exhaustive compendium of facts. Sadly, Carmen Jewel Jones is not up to the task of delivering it. Her performance is peppered with mispronunciations, and nearly every foreign name or phrase... Read More

With a talent for distinct voices, Erin deWard delivers this decades-old science fiction novel, now on audio. Psychologist Joanna Lander teams up with neurologist Richard Wright to determine the nature of near-death experiences and their role in survival. Lander's first simulated experience feels strange but familiar, and she's determined to repeat it until she can figure out... Read More

Patricia Shade gives an engaging performance of this debut novel set in a small town in northern Maine. Shade moves easily through a variety of points of view--the book feels more like a collection of interconnected stories than a novel--but she keeps her tone even throughout, giving the story some cohesion. Her lively narration is welcome as the book itself sometimes drags,... Read More

Jonathan Yen puts enthusiasm into his narration as he guides listeners through Haynes's history of Southern barbecue, with its distinct combination of African American, Native American, and European influences. Barbecues were once an important part of politics, as they gave candidates an opportunity to address crowds. Yen keeps his delivery straightforward, with a few detours.... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice narrator Grover Gardner comfortably inhabits McPhee's curious mind and captures the eloquence of his prose in this splendid rendition of his short classic. The audiobook brings together the supreme storyteller and the exceptional story performer. Gardner's singular voice and intelligent style were made to deliver McPhee--his voicing of the author's TABULA... Read More

Audiobook 2 of The Desert Magician's Duology continues the explosive Afrofuturistic story with the return of the powerful rainmaker Dikéogu and the shadow speaker Ejii. The geographical details set the story in a dystopian West Africa. Actor and producer Délé Ogundiran narrates this first-person story of the rainmaker, set in the year 2077. The steady, carefully enunciated... Read More

On February 17-18, 1952, a blizzard occurred in New England that dropped 30 inches of snow into the state of Maine, then blew it into 20-foot-high drifts. Narrator Morgan Bailey Keaton gives listeners a bird's-eye view of the effect this deluge had on the lives of many different people before the dawn of sophisticated weather equipment. Keaton gives an outstanding performance... Read More

In calm, reflective tones, Monique Gray Smith shares botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer's insights as an Indigenous scientist, highlighting how all living things--from strawberries to witch hazel to lichen--offer everyday gifts and lessons and connections. This adaptation for young adults of Kimmerer's bestselling book illuminates how deep ecological understanding can arise from... Read More

The audio biography of the founder of the popular Japanese restaurant chain Benihana, Rocky Aoki, needs no narrative embellishment--his life is thrilling enough on its own. This makes David Lee Huynh's straightforward, accent-free narration a perfect match for detailing Aoki's rise to fame and fortune as one of America's most successful entrepreneurs. Aoki didn't stop with... Read More

Narrator Moniqua Plante's clear voice and steady cadence enhance this fascinating examination of tennis legend Alice Marble. Between 1936 and 1940, Marble won 18 Grand Slam championships--even though she'd gained notoriety as a baseball player as a child. Encouraged to play a "lady's game," Marble became known for her pioneering style in power tennis and later coached Billie... Read More

Narrator Amir Abdullah is completely and blithely "Not Sidney Poitier" in this paradoxical pretzel of an audio. Not Sidney's mother died when he was 11, leaving him with his nonsensical name and a fortune in Turner Broadcasting System stock. Abdullah illuminates his struggles as he grows to manhood with a flexible and highly stylized performance. As Not Sidney faces episodes of... Read More

In this moving memoir, Kerri ní Dochartaigh's Irish accent highlights the setting, her isolated cottage and its wild surroundings in the heart of Ireland. Her phrasing emphasizes the rhythms of her words, and lyricism adds to the year-long collection of poems, essays, and diary excerpts. Her observations mark transitions from the lonely isolation of winter to the blossoming of... Read More

Diana Blue's vocal character is wonderful. Her positive tone provides an uplifting counterpoint to the topic of activism in the face of social injustice, environmental disasters, and other societal malfunctions. She helps the positive aspect of this guide to stay visible: the authors' belief that caring for others is a noble pursuit that has its rewards, as well as its... Read More

Ann Richardson sounds natural and relaxed as she delivers myriad Danish place names and words as Dorthe Nors ventures up and down the coast of Denmark. But this isn't a warm travel memoir. It's windy and cold and tinged with menace and risk. Nors visits church frescoes, isolated lighthouses, bonfires with burning witches' effigies, shipwrecks, and chemical plants--there is no... Read More

Robert Mac Minshew gives a fun, upbeat performance of this queer cozy mystery set in Salt Lake City. Ben has left his job in academia to help run his dad's board game shop back home in Utah. When a local game collector is found dead outside the shop, Ben becomes an immediate suspect. Desperate to clear his name, he teams up with the cute florist next door to solve the mystery.... Read More

Karen Cass's mellow voice and brisk cadence enliven the background, travels, and experiences of the wife of a prosperous man of industry in Victorian England. Fashion historian and museum curator Kate Strasdin unfolds the captivating life of Mrs. Anne Sykes, which is told through pieces of fabric from various items of her clothing, which she kept in an annotated scrapbook.... Read More

In this audiobook, Evie Sage is navigating financial challenges and takes on the role of assistant to a notorious villain, diligently managing office tasks and supporting his exploits. As her attraction to her mysterious boss deepens, the twisty plot unfolds, weaving a tapestry of intrigue and suspense. The emergence of a mysterious saboteur threatens the villain's empire,... Read More

David de Vries has a fine time delivering this comic tribute to life in a 1920s New York luxury hotel. He narrates in a rich tone and lively style that fits this satire of the opulent life of the Hotel Splendide, a slightly fictionalized version of the Ritz, where Bemelmans worked as a waiter. He ably does the necessary French and German accents and captures the demimonde of... Read More

Christopher Brown uses the voice of a confidant for this cornucopia of pleasures--literary and gustatory. He immerses listeners in the world of protean NEW YORK TIMES book critic Dwight Garner. For a text crammed with words, quotes, and anecdotes about food and literature, Brown takes on a conversational style and uses occasional slight accents to identify the countries of... Read More

Courtney Patterson brings mid-century North Carolina to life with her narration of this coming-of-age story. Mattie Lee Watson, age 15, is living an ordinary life when salesman James T. Cullowee pulls into town. Patterson brings the innocence and passion of a teenager's crush to fruition as Mattie strives to gain his attention. When Cullowee organizes a kudzu festival, Mattie... Read More

Christine Rendel brings her delightful British voice to this biography of the artist Camille Pissarro (1830-1903). Known as "the father of Impressionism," Pissarro was born into a Jewish family on St. Thomas but settled in Paris for his career. While associating closely with the innovative painters of the time, including Monet, Degas, Cassatt, and Cézanne, Pissarro remained an... Read More

Narrators CJ Bloom and Teddy Hamilton bring to life two talented college hockey players in this new contemporary romance. Gigi Graham has big dreams of making the women's national hockey team and stepping out of her famous hockey-playing father's shadow. She makes a deal with grumpy but extremely hot Luke Ryder to help her improve her game. In return, she promises to help him... Read More

Zac Aleman begins Perez's memoir tenderly as the author gazes at the house on G street that was his father's Cuban home. It's a formerly elegant building now moving toward ruin, a house that represents his past and that of many Cubans. So begins this ambitious memoir, which merges the personal and the political as it ranges from nineteenth-century Castilian Spain to... Read More

Carrie Coello's narration warmly welcomes listeners into the world of 12-year-old Dory Byrnes, adding additional appeal to her personality. Dory's mother is dead; her Pop is fighting in WWII. Fisher, her 17-year-old brother, is a loving guardian of Dory and their brilliant younger brother, Pike. Coello makes clear Fisher's frustrations at Dory's headstrong individualism and... Read More

Howarth's detailed account of the first decades of the British East India Company makes for a daunting listen. The text, while deeply learned, is often hard to follow as it jumps around in history and, while snappily written, is show-offy, laden with obscure allusions, and more interested in cleverness than clarity. Michael Page's throaty voice takes getting used to, but his... Read More

Narrator David Stifel brings a rich, expressive voice to the task of narrating this entertaining audiobook about plants, their importance, and their roles in specific events and periods in history. Topics range from the popularity of liberty trees in France to--with a stop at banana peels--a clue to the kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby. Stifel performs with... Read More

Narrator Nigel Patterson brings elegance, precision, and a fine sense of pacing to a narrative that spans 11 centuries, and is so packed with events and memorable figures that the Hundred Years War and the life of Joan of Arc comprise only one episode. What a richly detailed, thoroughly engrossing narrative this is, spacious enough to include a half-hour description of a... Read More

Angela Juarez's delivery is fully engaging, and by the end of this important and timely audiobook--devastating. Seamlessly switching between Spanish and English, she captures the lives of people caught in a broken immigration system. For many Americans, the U.S.-Mexico border remains an abstract concept, a mere "issue" that is easy to frame for political purposes. But Oliva's... Read More

Narrator Kaipo Schwab brings a bright, naturalistic delivery to this collection of decidedly academic essays that re-examine the first and continued contact between Native peoples and the Europeans who arrived to "conquer" the Americas. The eye-opening contention is that after 1492, one group did not simply replace the other; instead Indigenous peoples used politics, labor... Read More

Raquel Beattie's enchanting narration elevates this fantastical misadventure featuring the Mandolinis--a family of magical artists. Chaos abounds after 11-year-old Rosa Mandolini accidentally unleashes a vengeful little monster that could destroy her family's legacy. Beattie's voice perfectly emulates Rosa's youthful spirit as she conspires with Payne, a talking crow, to... Read More

As Bethan Jones's study of the eerie "X-Files" world begins, Daniela Acitelli quickly rattles off a list of the memorabilia in Jones's office. The audiobook returns to it at the end, focusing on a Scully and Mulder cardboard standup and a wry mention of the attention it receives in Jones's Zoom meetings. Acitelli keeps up a fast pace as she narrates a series history that... Read More

Délé Ogundiran's immersive performance of this Niger-set fantasy captures both the nostalgia of coming of age and the awe of otherworldly exploration. Ejii Ugabe is equally horrified and enthralled when the Red Queen Jaa beheads the village chief--who is Ejii's father--in front of her. Freed from the patriarchal confines of her father's dictatorship, Ejii embarks on a quest to... Read More

Zuzu Robinson narrates this novel of family, trauma, and forgiveness. Sara Lancaster never wanted to return to her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. She especially did not want to bring back her daughter, Alana, whose birth was the result of a sexual assault that nearly broke Sara's spirit. But when circumstances demand her return, Sara seeks to forge a new path forward. Robinson... Read More

Peter Noble's British accent sounds appropriately scholarly as he gives voice to the author's attempts to simplify some of the biggest ideas in science. Marcus Chown has set himself a difficult task: to explain in laypersons' terms such phenomena as black holes, relativity, quantum computing, and the Higgs boson, each in about 20 minutes. You can strip out the equations, but... Read More

"Growing older is more expansive than the world would have us believe," says Houston attorney, author, and Trinidad native Karen Walrond in this refreshing audiobook about reclaiming your life. In a clear timbre and lower register, she delivers inspiring stories about aging with the timing and resonance of an assured voice pro. Much of the narrative is about stereotypes of old... Read More

Intriguingly, this audiobook charts not the events leading to the American Revolution, but the concepts of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that culminated in the Declaration of Independence. Golden Voice narrator John Lee is a familiar and reliable guide to the era when Britain and the American colonies were still one. Their relationship was characterized by easy... Read More

Greg Marshall taps into the joy, pain, and bizarre family habits that shaped who he's become in this memoir about growing up with cerebral palsy. Unabashedly exploring his sexuality and relationships, Marshall shows how the limp he developed as a child influenced his life, including his clunky stint as a young stage actor, the complexity of dealing with parents who lied about... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns to a world made up of humans, Psys, and changelings. Psy Theodora Marshall teams up with bear changeling Yakov Stepyrev to investigate an abandoned center that was used to rehabilitate Psys. Theodora's grandfather was evil, and Dawe reveals all the darkness of his personality. Theodora was tortured by him, and as she struggles to cope with her past,... Read More

George Gilder, now in his mid-80s, has been an influential figure in right-wing politics and economics for more than 40 years--so he's hardly a fresh voice in either the literal or figurative sense. His latest work, however, gets a major shot of vitality from Eric Michael Summerer's narration. The energy and sonority in Summerer's voice soften the edges of Gilder's screed on... Read More

With an upbeat delivery, Elizabeth Wiley narrates this fascinating, thoroughly researched, and long overdue celebration of the brave, resourceful women who first joined the New York Police Department in the early 1920s. Particular focus is given to the life and career of Mary "Mae" Foley, who grew up in Manhattan's old Gas House District and became one of the NYPD's first... Read More

Bill Andrew Quinn portrays this audiobook's protagonist in a halting style that fits an academic. His deliberate cadence pushes the action forward as the characters' lives unspool. The first-person narrator, Zach Wells, a geologist, is a man who shares chess moves and scientific data but has trouble with his feelings. His life is fraught, to say the least: His father committed... Read More

Gabriel Vaughan presents Prendergast's detailed account of the vice that accompanied the growing pains of a burgeoning Denver, Colorado, at the beginning of the twentieth century. A young district attorney, Philip Van Cise, emerges as the crime fighter of the day. Vaughan narrates with consistency; his steady voice guides the historic narrative of Van Cise as he stamps out a... Read More

Author Keggie Carew asks listeners to reconsider how they relate to animals, starting out with anecdotes that fascinate and shifting to opinions she herself characterizes as strong. Pippa Haywood narrates with her British accent, switching briefly to an Eastern European one to tell the story of a mischievous raven and later taking on the voice of Pigeon Pete, a bird trainer.... Read More

An ensemble cast brings listeners to Zora Neale Hurston Airport, where bad weather grounds four preteens who are traveling home with their families from the Muslims of North America conference. Animal lover Hanna, aspiring poet Feek, NokNok influencer Nora, and martial artist Sami take turns recounting the events that occur when Hanna recruits them to help search for a lost... Read More

Adenrele Ojo gives an outstanding performance of a series of conversations between bell hooks and Cornel West. These two friends and colleagues discuss the complex realities of Black intellectual life. In between their conversations, hooks and West insert essays that they've written about each other, highlighting their academic achievements and mutual admiration. Ojo narrates... Read More

Paul Woodson has the voice of the everyman, as well as an aloof professor, an elite military squad member, an attractive lady, a gruff older woman, various self-assured heads of state, and all sorts of intergalactic life-forms. In this comical sci-fi, reminiscent of Douglas Adams's work, an ordinary young man named Toby finds himself partnered with three extraordinary people;... Read More

Narrator iiKane displays her versatility in this creepy young adult mystery. Bronwyn and her family move from Chicago to Hillwoods, Arkansas, to be closer to her dying Dominican grandmother, Lala. Brownyn is disappointed to learn there are no pools; swimming is not allowed in this strange town with its strange rules. Chapters alternate between Bronwyn and her cousin Anais, a... Read More

Narrator Carolyn Jania's gentle voice is a good match for this audiobook, especially the author's use of metaphor and simile. Bluebirds serve as the principal metaphor in her examination of climate change. Young, a nature writer, chronicles the changing lives of various inhabitants of her property in the Colorado Rockies. While the bluebird species get the most attention,... Read More

Narrator Ann Richardson brings a calm and pleasant feminine voice to the legendary life of Thurídur Einarsdóttir. Captain Thurídur's life from the late 1700s and early 1800s was difficult because of weather, terrain, and social customs, but it didn't stop her from being the strong and independent purposeful woman she was. The challenges of life in a rural, rugged, and risky... Read More

Fans of the music business will devour this fascinating audiobook about the inner workings of the renowned British recording studio Abbey Road and the engineers and musicians who made it famous. The author, a veteran music journalist and gifted storyteller, narrates with slow and deliberate articulation typical of his generation, but his performance is full of color and... Read More

Shaina Summerville's talented narration transports listeners to contemporary Jerusalem. Israeli intelligence agent Maya Rimon and Ethiopian lawyer Dani Solomon set out to discover who is behind the killings of family members of a prominent Ethiopian Jewish family. As she pieces together the significance of the clues left on the victims' bodies, Maya soon realizes that this is a... Read More

Daniel Henning's uplifting performance brings out the best in this audiobook exploring the importance and prevalence of gay culture on "The Street." Ethan Mordden's comprehensive research spanning the years 1910-2010 opens wide the closet doors, and Henning revels in the flamboyant anecdotes and colorful quotes that tumble out. Mordden credits early warriors such as 1920s... Read More

Adenrele Ojo performs bell hooks's modern classic, bringing it to audio for the first time. Hooks writes about how Black women's well-being is still deeply impacted by sexism, racism, and homophobia. To better themselves and their communities, Black women should focus on self-recovery--nurturing their sense of self by taking care of their mental, emotional, and physical... Read More

Barry Abrams is at it again, narrating a sports book in his signature casual tone. When baseball fans look at 1973, they find a season that includes the doormat-to-contender New York Mets; the Oakland A's, led by frugal owner Charlie Finley; one of the game's greatest players--Willie Mays--in his final year; and Hank Aaron in pursuit of the home-run record. Author John... Read More

Narrator Kyla García does a fine job emulating the sense of motion that the author returns to throughout this brief and engaging collection of essays. García skillfully navigates Glancy's idiosyncratic style--sometimes dramatic monologue, sometimes academic exegesis, sometimes self-revelation--and she captures the often musing tone of her constant crisscrossing of the country.... Read More

David Shih narrates Ayatsuji's locked-room tale of suspense with a neutral intensity that suits the pulp-noir book by the well-known Japanese author of horror and mystery novels. Once a year, a hideously scarred man who wears a rubber mask invites selected men to visit his strange house and view his deceased father's equally strange paintings. One year, paintings disappear, and... Read More

Jennifer Aquino's expressive narration allows listeners to become immersed in this fiery political fantasy. Thanh was brought to a rival kingdom as a political hostage. While there, she had an affair with Princess Eldris, heir to that kingdom, and almost died in a supernatural fire. She returned home a much more introverted person. Now Eldris is proposing marriage to Thanh. But... Read More

Rich Miller straightforwardly takes listeners through a graphic and sometimes violent examination of long-term solitary confinement in the U.S. prison system. In 1983, Thomas Silverstein and Clayton Fountain each murdered a prison guard on the same day in the same prison. Federal prison officials used the slayings to justify the creation of "supermax" (high-security) prisons.... Read More

Narrator Ann Richardson presents the story of Anna M. Rosenberg, the first woman to receive the Medal of Freedom. She began her career as a confidante to FDR and later influenced Truman, Eisenhower, and LBJ. Rosenberg was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant whose abilities and intelligence turned her into a household name during WWII. Speaking with a Hungarian accent, Richardson uses... Read More

Jonathan Yen's relaxed, well-modulated narration invites listeners to learn about the white pine tree's rich and complex history in the Northeast and Northern regions of the U.S. Yen's unhurried performance gives space for reflection as the author expounds upon humans' impact on the white pine and its ecosystem, as well as our role in its preservation. Yen's grounded vocals... Read More

Elisabeth Lagelee's narration of this audiobook is just right. Raised in Paris, she brings the sound and sensibility that this very Paris-influenced text needs. Her lovely voice and musical delivery of French words and phrases elevate this detailed and meticulously researched dive into the eighteenth century, when the first eating places were established. Spang used travel... Read More

Heather Duffy, narrator of this audiobook and best friend of Anne Heche, has the unenviable task of performing the late actor's second memoir. Part personal history and part self-help guide, the work covers Heche's childhood sexual assault; her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Ellen DeGeneres; and other personal experiences. It also captures the poetry and practices that... Read More

Cindy Kay is easy on the ears as she delivers this imaginative story of lively villagers who remain in a sleepy South Korean outpost as most of their country forges into 21st-century modernity. Through detailed narrative, Kay switches between the actions of two wildly different women. From the scheming mother, Geumbok, to her mute daughter, Chunhui, Kay establishes easily... Read More

A diverse ensemble of talented narrators lends their voices to poignant short stories featuring teens who make choices between backing down or standing up and making themselves heard. The lyrical poems between stories are thoughtfully narrated by Amir Abdullah and Adenrele Ojo. Narrator Soneela Nakani projects the anxiety of a Black girl who is trying to survive a police... Read More

In this entertaining biography of actress, writer, entertainer, and puppeteer Shari Lewis (1933-1998) and her most famous creation, Lamb Chop, we get many personal anecdotes, as well as an in-depth look at how Shari and Lamb Chop found each other. It is narrated by Lewis's daughter, Mallory, and her publicist, Nat Segaloff, and also features appropriately snarky interjections... Read More

British art historian Katy Hessel's enthusiasm for her subject is evident. Drawn from her Instagram, @thegreatwomenartists, this audiobook is a global compendium of female artists spanning the years 1500 to the present. A variety of art forms are included besides painting, drawing, and sculpture, such as quilting and weaving. Hessel has a lot of ground to cover, and she... Read More

Former BBC art editor Will Gompertz examines a diverse selection of paintings and sculpture to explain aspects of the art that most people overlook. He says we get more from both art and life when we approach what we encounter more consciously and with more curiosity. This richly detailed art lesson is delivered by British narrator Matt Addis in a relaxed and highly inviting... Read More

This scrupulously detailed audiobook account of one of history's most consequential sea battles highlights the value of egalitarian fighters over paid troops, the Greek approach over the Persian one. Tom Perkins's narration is steady and reliable; he maintains a tone of strict impartiality and lets the evidence in this audiobook speak for itself. The Battle of Salamis, fought... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella is the voice of Juni Jessup in this first installment of Blacke's newest cozy mystery series. Juni returns to Texas to join her two older sisters, Tansy and Maggie, in reviving their family's vinyl record shop. They add a coffee bar and rename it Sip & Spin Records. In spite of Cedar River's location just outside Austin, Zanzarella gives Juni an accentless... Read More

This brief but incisive audiobook is about the comedian, writer, director, and sometimes musician Mel Brooks. Author Jeremy Dauber narrates in a conversational tone and a New York accent. There's also a fair presence of mouth noise throughout. Nonetheless, it's all here for fans and detractors alike--Brook's humble beginnings, his long-term marriage to actor Anne Bancroft, the... Read More

Historian Alistair Moffat provides brief yet meaty glimpses of events, people, and cultural experiences from a small country that has contributed a vast amount to daily life around the world. Included are scientific discoveries, romantic design elements, and, of course, literary achievements. The contents of this audiobook will engage both fans of Scottish popular culture and... Read More

Listeners will be swept along by Gail Shalan's emotive narration of this novel, set in late-nineteenth-century Virginia, Texas, and New York City. Beautiful Belle Yarrington Huntington catches the eye of railroad magnate Collis Huntington at a Richmond gaming house. She agrees to move to New York City to become his "shadow wife." After bearing Collis's secret son, Belle becomes... Read More

Narrators Curt Bonnem and Lilly Drake's performance of the second book in this paranormal fantasy series is a mixed bag. In the wake of losing her father, Isolde has no time to rest. A deadly mist is infecting vampires, the court is filled with cutthroat politics, and her love for Adrian is being tested again. There appears to be a lack of communication between the narrators,... Read More

Amelie Griffin and Alex Kydd narrate a story about second chances and new beginnings. When Georgie Mulcahy unexpectedly ends up back in her hometown after nearly a decade away, a chance encounter with Levi Fanning, former local bad boy, changes both their lives. While Georgie may feel that she's a mess and has no grasp on how to be an adult, Griffin's performance subtly changes... Read More

Narrator Ann Sprinkle's delivery is positive and friendly--perhaps a bit too much so for this informed primer on what some would call a classic oxymoron: business ethics. The content is well organized; each chapter explores a single area of ethics--such as compliance, duty of care, and due diligence--which is then followed by a discussion of each topic's pros and cons.... Read More

Narrator Christina Delaine re-creates an idyllic summer night in editor Amy Brady's life, with crickets and real darkness in Kansas, to introduce these essays about our changing climate. Delaine later recalls Emily Raboteau's grandmother in a way that could bring a smile to listeners' faces as she narrates "How Do You Live With Displacement?"--an essay that compares the Covid... Read More

More than five thousand unique objects were found in King Tutankhamun's tomb when it was unearthed in 1922. English Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson has selected 100 of these artifacts as a launching point to describe everyday life in the time of the pharaohs, both for royals and nonroyals. Accomplished British narrator David Timson guides listeners through this fascinating... Read More

Julienne Irons delivers a robust performance of this rich audiobook. Despite the number of teens disappearing from the Bronx, Raquel steers clear of the crisis until Charlize's cousin, her crush, is taken. Charlize and Raquel trace the disappearances to an underground movement called the Echo Game, a savage game that determines what happens to those captured. Irons's... Read More

William Deresiewicz, author, essayist, and literary critic, has compiled a variety of essays on solitude and leadership, the pitfalls of an Ivy League education (he previously taught English at Yale), and social media's incursion into daily life, among other timely concerns. Narrator Eric Jason Martin adopts a slow pace that is fitting for the unifying theme of the importance... Read More

Mercedes Snow takes listeners on a rollicking good time via a rom-com road trip through Europe. Speaking in a sassy tone and a British accent, she is a capable narrator for this atypical story. Stanley is shaken from his sedentary life through a chance encounter with artistic, free-spirited Jessie. Snow shows us their burgeoning friendship alongside a mystical caper that brings... Read More

Anastasia Watley brings this story to life with her expressive voice and excellent pacing. Her portrayals of the different characters are distinct and consistent, making it easy for listeners to follow the plot and become invested in the characters' journey. Dae is kidnapped from her homeland on the eve of her wedding and taken to the Jaharri desert, where she is saved from... Read More

Narrator Allyson Johnson takes listeners through the lives of four women whose work changed the world. Ella Baker, Jane Jacobs, Rachel Carson, and Betty Friedan are now known for their impact, but back when they pursued their goals, their ideas were considered radical. From civil rights (Baker) and city planning (Jacobs) to the destructive use of pesticides (Carson) and the... Read More

British paleoarchaeologist Paul Pettitt chronicles new discoveries that are adding to humans' understanding of our evolution and adaptation, as well as innovations that have contributed to our species' development. In this comprehensive audio tour of our collective early history, narrator Julian Elfer's British-accented performance is animated by a lively pace that keeps the... Read More

Derek Perkins is a favored narrator for serious nonfiction, and rightly so. Expressive but unintrusive, his voice is familiar on first hearing it yet still fresh after 500 performances. Here he narrates the first full biography of Boris Iofan, state architect under Stalin, whose career exemplifies the uneasy relationship between architecture and power. The narrative is an... Read More

Vanessa Johansson's thoughtful delivery makes this ratiocinative novel come alive. Johansson portrays Abigail, a feminist academic, in an ironic and angsty tone. Having been turned down for tenure, Abigail, an economist, spends a sleepless night prepping for a speech and examining her life and career, especially what went wrong. She is joined by an imaginary John Maynard... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella narrates crisply with a sure sense of timing that propels this wide-ranging love letter to food communitarians, back-to-the-land advocates, and those who try their hands at agriculture. Her conversational style fits the first-person memoir parts of the text, and she smoothly moves to the many historical profiles that range from Thoreau to Stuart Brand, editor... Read More

Jeed Saddy performs this dazzling debut essay collection from author Neema Avashia. The daughter of immigrant parents, Avashia grew up as one of a number of Indian American families in southern West Virginia. Avashia describes being deeply rooted in her Appalachian community and considers many of her neighbors to be almost family. Identities can be messy, and Saddy's narration... Read More

Narrator Michael Page sounds like an enthusiastic scientist in this examination of the technology that will be necessary for future interstellar travel. Page's voice has ease and fluidity as he delivers this highly complex material. His smooth style helps listeners feel comfortable with challenging topics like fusion propulsion, robotics, nuclear fission, and the cosmos itself.... Read More

Joshua Whitehead performs his essay collection, which centers on Indigiqueer identity and living in an Indigenous body in a society formed by colonialism. Each essay intimately presents Whitehead's perspective as he examines the world around him and works through discussions of intergenerational trauma, the stories of his family's experience, and Indigenous storytelling.... Read More

Based on the popular podcast "Poetry Unbound," this audiobook is a fine anthology of poetry, as well as a very good introduction, for those who need it, to how to think about poetry. Even old poetry hands will enjoy and appreciate Pádraig O Tuama's brief and insightful essays accompanying each poem, as well as the poems themselves, many of which are likely to be unfamiliar even... Read More

Linda Jones narrates this study subtitled "True Stories of America's Ghosts." It examines gender issues related to the most famous, notorious, and unusual legends of ghosts in our culture. Jones delivers the work in a cool, gentle voice. Divided into seven parts, this literary treatise on ghost tales, seances, and the paranormal includes only brief clips of such tales. Instead,... Read More

If you think humans have a monopoly on creativity, this compelling audiobook will make you think again. Sheri Saginor narrates with clarity and intonations befitting the amazing animal behaviors she describes. Saginor also conveys the significance of perceiving and understanding animals' creative expressions--such as how a beaver or octopus's tool use and construction of their... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning portrays musical prodigy Gleb Yanovsky from early in his career to middle age with a genuine-sounding awe and pleasure. Gleb, a classical guitarist, allows biographer Sergei Nesterov to trace his roots from Ukraine to celebrated stages worldwide as he faces personal disappointments and, ultimately, the loss of his gift from Parkinson's disease.... Read More