CITY OF BOOKS

In this love letter to bookstores, narrated by Cindy Kay, employees fight to keep their store from closing. Fifty-year-old Jo's life revolves Bruebaker's Books, the behemoth of a bookstore she has managed for years. When Mr. Bruebaker, the owner, has a stroke, the store's CEO and his daughters order the iconic establishment to close immediately. Jo and several of the store's staff don't believe that's what Mr. Bruebaker would want, so they take a stand by refusing to leave until he recovers. Kay's expressive voice helps listeners feel Jo's myriad emotions about her choices in life as she finds herself essentially living in the store. Kay's nuanced delivery of the secondary characters' personalities, such as the clipped tones of the store's CEO, gives them depth. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]