New Reviews by Title: A-D

Chris Lintott, British astrophysicist and host of the BBC's "Sky at Night," delivers an engaging performance. He takes listeners through serendipitous discoveries by professional and amateur astronomers. The author's affable hosting style and ease with sharing scientific concepts lend themselves well to a production meant to induce wonder and curiosity. The array of... Read More

Narrator Jade Wheeler warmly draws listeners into this thought-provoking literary debut. The U.S. has elected its first female president, who signs the Forgiveness Act. To provide reparations for slavery, $175,000 is awarded to individuals who can prove they are descendants of enslaved people. The story explores varying viewpoints on the program and its possible implications.... Read More

With his fancy-free tone and a charming Irish lilt, Liam Gerrard has a great time reading this entertaining collection of classic Irish folktales, tall tales, and poems. All are centered on the larger-than-life exploits of the ancient clan leader, seer, and poet Finn MacCool. Finn is credited with building the Giant's Causeway, marauding with Druids, and eating the Salmon of... Read More

Sura Siu's and Emily Tremaine's alternating narrations plunge listeners into the events surrounding a government-sanctioned human-extinction event. Siu's performance shifts in tone and cadence as the AI called "Storyworker" tells the story of Sen, a teenage "Witness" to the end of humankind. The initially straightforward account merges with journals and surveillance footage of... Read More

In this informative and entertaining audiobook, Erika Howsare uses deer as a way to explore humanity's fraught and constantly shifting relationship with the natural world. Her narration--even, measured, and relatively unobtrusive--suits the book well. Howsare's observations are so nuanced that a dramatic narration would detract from them. She shares fascinating stories,... Read More

NEW YORK TIMES columnist Frank Bruni narrates his persuasive examination of the outrage that currently dominates American discourse with a tone of authority underlying his overall conversational delivery. Bruni's astute observations have a mix of gravitas and wit that keeps this topic from feeling quite so oppressive. His personal and political beliefs collide when he awakens... 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

Anna Caputo uses a blend of authority and compassion to deliver oncologist Elizabeth Comen's accounts of the ineffective and even harmful medical treatment given to women over four centuries. Comen's hands-on experience and extensive research inform her narrative of doctors' gross misunderstandings of women's bodies. Caputo delivers startling stories of bizarre treatments that... Read More

This moving audiobook imagining Lady Macbeth's early life receives extraordinary narrations by Angus King and Ell Potter. Ten years before the events of Shakespeare's play, "The Lady," at 15, is forced to marry the brutish Mormaer of Moray. They have a son, "The Boy," who displeases his sadistic father. Macbeth kills Moray in battle, occupies his castle, then falls in love with... Read More

Pete Cross performs this debut novel of a star-crossed love affair between minister Nathaniel Whitfield and physician Arthur Lyman in Puritan New England. As his congregation whispers about his relationship with Arthur and their wives begin to suspect what's going on behind closed doors, Nathaniel prays for an "Awakening" but fears his love for Arthur has brought God's... 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

Jennifer Aquino, Christina Ho, Naomi Mayo, and Kenneth Lee perform this new thriller about two sisters who survived a small plane crash and 12 terrifying weeks in the Washington wilderness. As adults, Fiona and Violet Seng have kept their silence about the horrifying ordeal of their childhood. When their father's former lover comes forward with details, the Seng girls find... Read More

The stentorian voice of Leon Nixon adds gravitas and depth to a sweeping historical study of the Blood family. This noteworthy family embraced the wildness of the American continent, westward expansion, and the mythos of the American Dream as they explored, settled, and developed their claims from the seventeenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. Nixon's rich... Read More

Listeners will be immersed in this fictionalized retelling of actual events that occurred between 1865 and 1869. Louella spent her first 24 years enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation. After Emancipation, she is determined to create a better life for herself and her people. She and Reverend William lead a group of formerly enslaved people to a place they call "The Kingdom of... Read More

Byron Wagner sounds mostly straightforward as he tells listeners of possible Viking visits along the Canadian and New England coasts. Author Martyn Whittock thoroughly presents the archaeological finds and Norse sagas that raise this possibility. At the same time, he observes how Vikings have landed in the American psyche--whether in the right-wing assertions of groups such as... Read More

In this trilogy, which uses the horror genre to explore generational trauma, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota actor Isabella Star LaBlanc leads an ensemble cast. Listeners return to Proofrock, Idaho, "murder capital of America." Voicing first-person narrator Jade "Slasher Girl" Daniels, LaBlanc walks the knife edge between anguish and rage as the young Blackfeet woman confronts a third... 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

This immersive adaptation of Montgomery's classic features a Canadian ensemble with Sandra Oh as the narrator, and Catherine O'Hara, Victor Garber, and Michela Luci playing the main characters. When 11-year-old Anne mistakenly arrives in Avonlea, she brings her vivid imagination and bright personality to Marilla and Matthew's quiet farm. As she portrays Anne, Luci's infectious... 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

Studies show people benefit from casual, superficial conversations, so two hilarious improv actors offer a small-talk primer in this entertaining audio. With likable vocal tones and believable spontaneity, they banter with each other as they explain how to connect with people in various situations. They offer six rules for managing when and how to begin small talk, which they... Read More

Lori Prince delivers this queer romance about a young woman living in Los Angeles. Max works hard, whether working as an assistant to a talent agent or scouring dating apps for a future girlfriend. But she never seems to achieve her goals. Then her roommate, a social media influencer, introduces her to a self-actualization app, and everything starts to fall into place. Prince's... Read More

Author/narrator Amy Tan takes up bird watching to counteract the negativity and discord in the world. Tan is a joy to listen to--a charming and warm presence, with a dollop of self-deprecation, as she chronicles her learning journey. She exudes joy and wonder as a hummingbird feeds from her hand. There is anguish when, to avoid spreading a disease among the Pine Siskins, she... 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

Activist Ijeoma Oluo calls upon her years of experience and numerous contacts to assemble this collection of interviews with leaders across the social justice movement. As narrator, her gentle vocal tone does not diminish her steely resolve to call upon each listener to become more involved and to have a greater understanding of the needs of all people. First-person accounts... Read More

Jonathan Vigliotti's experience covering natural disasters for CBS News gives a journalistic feel to his audiobook about disasters' effects on small towns. He warns of more devastation in the future. As his recollections of the sights and smells of devastation in Hawaii take on the urgency of a news report, his descriptions of attempts to escape flames add dramatic emphasis. He... Read More

Listening to Alice Notley read her own poetry is rather like visiting her mind. It may take a while to get used to the strange environment, but eventually one adapts and starts to feel comfortable. The poetry still requires attention and investigation, but it is rewarding. Notley's voice is intense and immediate, almost as though she is not reading the poems but improvising... Read More

Narrator Jim Frangione returns listeners to the vampire world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Living among the unaware humans of Caldwell, New York, the vampires fight against the Lessening Society, which wants to destroy them. Nalla, the grown daughter of the fighter Zsadist, falls in love with Nate, a fighter with a tragic past. As Frangione conveys the passion that sparks... Read More

This portrait of Founding Father Ben Franklin is part biography, part travelogue, and part personal commentary. Because of that, it's eminently suited to audio. Author Eric Weiner is the narrator, and his presentation exactly fits the material. His pace is easy to follow, and his tone is easy on the ears. As he walks in the footsteps of Franklin in the various places where he... Read More

Shridhar Solanki, Sharmila Devar, and Kemmer Keswani Cope work together to bring to life this well-told family drama. Devar is the voice of the aging matriarch Sultana, who is wasting away from illness. Cope and Solanki dramatize the siblings Imran, Sumaya and Majid, who go in separate directions after their mother's death. Well-versed in South Asian culture, the narrators... Read More

Langan's dystopian thriller is set in the not-too-distant-future. Cassandra Campbell brings to life a dispassionate narrator and a wide range of unique characters. The Farmer-Bowens find themselves in Plymouth Valley, a company town where all needs are met. There Russell snags a job with Better World. Russell's voice sounds distracted and distant as he struggles to succeed.... Read More

Big Panda's soothing voice as delivered by Jason Isaacs would calm the most agitated child (or adult). Isaacs creates a sharp contrast when he performs Tiny Dragon's voice with a bit of nervousness. Listeners will appreciate the Zen-like tone of Big Panda, who soothes his little friend as they take a journey through the seasons. While traveling, they discuss the world and... Read More

Rebecca Lowman was born to narrate Laurie Colwin's transcendent novel, published posthumously in 1993. Lowman's extraordinary performance transports listeners to the charming Manhattan enclave where Colwin's characters continue to enchant. There is a lovely continuity to Colwin's stories, and Lowman's pitch-perfect characterizations and witty delivery of dialogue captures this... Read More

Eva Kaminsky had her work cut out for her narrating this very complicated story, which begins with the kidnapping of a young woman named Allie and involves a secret she's not even aware of. Kaminsky gives voice to Allie--and to Anna, a person in Allie's head who is part of the dark secret. Only Grace, who works for an obscure branch of the FDA, is willing to investigate the... Read More

Aimee Nezhukumatathil's voice is warm and inviting as she performs her essay collection celebrating all things food. In each work, the author, who is Filipina and Malayali Indian, centers her thoughts on one of her favorite foods, giving listeners glimpses of her life. In one essay she connects shave ice with some of the beloved people she's shared it with. In another, she... Read More

Entertainer Whoopi Goldberg's raspy timbre and amused tone make her the only person appropriate to narrate her memoir. As listeners hear just a trace of a New York City inflection at the ends of some sentences, the story of Goldberg's career is skillfully woven into anecdotes featuring her exceptional mother, Emma Johnson, and her unique older brother, Clyde. Born Caryn... Read More

An all-star ensemble of historical fiction authors and talented narrators make this collection excellent listening. Each short story features a compelling female character who is breaking barriers, pushing back against limiting expectations, and finding her power. The stories span decades and showcase characters impacted by war, artistic and social movements, cultural shifts,... Read More

Catrin Walker-Booth narrates this contemporary remastering of Arthurian legend with the plights of various women the focus. Arthur is CEO of a successful tech company that has issues with female employees. Gwen, an online influencer with plenty of haters, is his wife; Lance, a veteran, is Arthur's friend and Gwen's lover. Listeners will respond to Arthur's desperation to keep... Read More

Hari Kunzru narrates his novel, set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jay, once a rising star in the British art world, is now living in his car in the U.S. Kunzru lends his own English accent and gravelly timbre to working-class Jay. One day, on his pizza delivery route, Jay's ex, Alice, opens the door, feels sorry for him, and offers him shelter. She's living with the man she... Read More

Jon Fosse, the Norwegian Nobelist, writes in an interestingly elliptical style. His phrases and sentences loop around, repeating and echoing themselves, much the way many people think--and, in this audiobook, the way the protagonist avoids thinking about certain subjects that are too complicated and too painful for him to process neatly. The story is set in a coastal Norwegian... Read More

This supernatural thriller provides an enjoyable wrinkle in narration. The audiobook doesn't feature a single narrator voicing all characters or a full cast with an individual narrator voicing each character. The members of the ensemble each take a major character and whomever that character interacts with. Rachel Fulginiti shines as Andi Wyndham, who buys a bone pendant that... Read More

Miranda Raison performs this magical adventure set on an alternative Earth, where a collection of mysterious books gives special powers to those who possess one of its volumes. When a customer dies in the bookstore where she works, Cassie discovers that he's left her an old, leather-bound work called THE BOOK OF DOORS, which can open almost any door across the world. In... Read More

Amin El Gamal's winning performance endears Deaf, queer protagonist Jackson Ghasnavi to listeners. Jackson loves being the stage manager for his high school's theater department. When sweet, handsome Liam from the swim team gets the lead role in the musical, he and Jackson grow closer. The only problem? Jackson's older sister, Jasmine, likes Liam, too. Jasmine has had a string... Read More

Stephan Watson presents the harrowing true-crime story that marred horse racing's Golden Age. In 1990, Alydar, a great racing stallion, was found in his stall with a broken hind leg. Author Kray, an animal lawyer, believes this injury was not accidental. Alydar's owners were in deep financial trouble, and he was insured for $46.1 million. After the horse recovered, he stumbled... 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

Ari Fliakos portrays Paul Bunyan, JD Jackson portrays John Henry, and Tanis Parenteau embodies Bright Eyes in this debut quest novel, which masterfully mixes myth, capitalism, and racism. Impoverished Paul Bunyan mines Lump, a toxic mineral that causes his wife to fall gravely ill. With a mythical creature guiding him, he races to find the one machine that could save her. In... Read More

Journalist Kara Swisher specializes in reporting on the Internet. Here she narrates her memoir with urgency and focus, providing a you-are-there history of Silicon Valley. With more than a decade of podcasting experience, Swisher has developed a well-honed, rapid-fire delivery; an aura of journalistic integrity; and a firsthand knowledge of tech history. Anecdotes abound on... Read More

Hanako Footman brings gravitas and humor to this psychologically insightful novel based on the true crime of a gourmet cook/con woman/serial killer. Using a clever ploy, journalist Rika secures a meeting with taciturn Manako Kajii in her Tokyo jail cell. Imprisoned for the deaths of three wealthy businessmen, Kajii refuses to talk about her case but willingly talks about food,... 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

Powerful, enlightening, and entertaining are some of the superlatives that might come to mind as listeners are transported to the world of trial attorney Jack Lee in Virginia in 1968--brought to life by a uniformly outstanding cast. Narrator MacLeod Andrews uses accent, tone, and pace to masterfully portray Lee and the other white male characters. Lee partners with attorney... Read More

Jaime Lincoln Smith skillfully narrates this long overdue biography. Smith's relaxed pacing, rich tone, and understated swagger embody Calvin Peete, one of the best Black golfers in history. This fascinating audiobook takes listeners from Peete's early days as the child of migrant laborers with limited opportunities for education to his incredible success in the PGA despite his... 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

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

The powerhouse authors and narrators of this aspirational audiobook are determined to help women succeed in the workplace. PepsiCo COO Grace Puma and former Nike President of Consumer Direct Christiana Smith Shi perform as if they were professional narrators. They effectively teach listeners how to create a "career GPS" that will guide them, with occasional course corrections,... Read More

Listeners will find author/narrator Carmen Agra Deedy's retelling of this folktale a delightful treat. Upbeat Caribbean music introduces listeners to the beautiful but gluttonous feline, Carina. She goes around town hilariously eating whatever she wants: crackers, a florist, a bride, and a boy. However, she meets her match when a pair of crabs help everyone escape her belly.... Read More

Barrie Kreinik performs this in-depth look at the life of literary prodigy Carson McCullers (THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, published in 1940). Dearborn presents a complex portrait of McCullers, who grapples with a toxic marriage and alcoholism. As she finds herself eternally entangled in messy relationships--both romantic and platonic--she experiences physical and mental... 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

Pete Cross's dramatic performance of this fantasy/noir audiobook enlivens a fascinating story about a missing teenager and her connection to a popular video game and a doomsday cult. Cross's emotional commitment to the protagonist, Sid Catchpenny, showcases the messy, washed-up thief with debilitating depression and the ability to travel through mirrors. He can sense mojo, the... Read More

Alma Cuervo's warm, rich timbre and measured style suit this captivating audiobook. Her delivery works perfectly as she emulates the author's empathetic tone and wit. This is a vividly imagined story of a novelist whose nom de plume is Scheherazade. She leaves Vermont and returns to her native Dominican Republic to bury her untold (unfinished) works. The plot takes a satisfying... Read More

Ellen Adair handles this biography of Pete Rose beautifully, with clear enunciation and pronunciation, letting the rich and troubled life of baseball's all-time hits leader stand for what it is. Rose was a homegrown Cincinnati guy who went on to star for the Reds. But his off-field pursuits--gambling, an extramarital affair, and a lack of solid friendships--mar his legacy.... Read More

Jess Moran's light, sweet voice accentuates the many lyrical passages in poet Iris Jamahl Dunkle's biography of Charmian Kittredge, writer Jack London's second wife and frequent collaborator. As headstrong and independent as her famous husband, and five years older, the Los Angeles-born Kittredge was an accomplished horsewoman, musician, and writer. For the 11 years of their... Read More

The privileged world of the spirited Isabella Stewart Gardner is aptly captured by the patrician voice of narrator Maggi-Meg Reed. Born in 1840 to a wealthy family in New York City, Isabella married Boston Brahmin Jack Gardner and proceeded to both dazzle and confuse proper Boston elites. Reed softens her tone when "Mrs. Jack" suffers the death of her only child, to recover,... Read More

Journalist Nicholas Kristof delivers his monumental memoir--by turns harrowing (think gunfire, rats, Darfur) and inspiring (he mentors young journalists, starts a nonprofit, and champions rural America). A practiced public speaker, Kristof sounds thoughtful as he covers his long and distinguished career. He's worked four decades as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau... Read More

Nicholas Boulton brings this bleakly energetic 1896 novel to life with intelligence. Set in the worst of the London slums, it focuses on the ill-starred Perrott family, especially the boy Dicky, but includes many other neighborhood characters. Boulton moves easily among all of them, fluently altering voices, accents, ages, and genders as if he's a one-man full cast. His deep,... Read More

Tanis Parenteau delivers Marcia Muller's latest intense Sharon McCone mystery. At first, Parenteau's scratchy voice is unappealing, but as she navigates more twists and turns than a carnival ride, her tone fits the story. Vandalism has hit several upscale San Francisco neighborhoods. PI McCone's agency is hired by a neighborhood watch group to keep an eye on local streets.... Read More

Part detective novel, part fairy tale, this complex story about the hunt for a book that disappears after one has read it is expertly delivered by a trinity of talent. Stefan Rudnicki takes on the majestic tones of mysterious celestial beings that interject their commentary throughout the narrative. Mathematician Delia Welegtabit first discovers the disappearing book; her... Read More

Pete Cross provides a suitably lighthearted narration for this quirky, twisty, high-flying murder mystery set in a circus called Mysterium. This second installment in the Hayden and Friends mystery series follows a pint-sized gay middle-school teacher, Hayden, and his best friend, Hollister, as they seek the culprit in the murder of one of the circus performers. Although... Read More

In the final book in the Danny Ryan Trilogy, a masterpiece of crime writing, Ari Fliakos delivers an astounding, empathetic performance. Rhode Island Irish mobster Danny Ryan's journey began decades ago when he evolved from a longshoreman to a small-time mobster and then to a multimillionaire Las Vegas hotelier. Winslow based Ryan's journey on the Greek tragedies THE ILIAD, THE... Read More

Russ Bain flawlessly presents Carys Davies's novel featuring three extraordinary, believable characters in 1840s Scotland. Listeners meet awkward Reverend John Ferguson and his kindhearted wife, Mary as he sets sail for a remote island to evict Ivar, who's lived there alone for decades. Bain seamlessly blends Davies's three disparate viewpoints and moving descriptions of Ivar's... Read More

Rory Kinnear's performance of the fifth Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery is "something of a masterclass," says author Anthony Horowitz in a recorded postscript that praises Kinnear's flair and fluency. Indeed, Kinnear's voice--rich and resonant, with precise articulation--is one of the many pleasures in this outing of the comical, ill-matched pair as they investigate which... Read More

Charlie Thurston's narration engages whether in flashbacks of Colton Gentry's high school years or accounts of his present-day return to his hometown. Thurston's fluid transitions transcend leaps in time and credibly illuminate Colton's ongoing affection for Luann, his first love. While Colton speaks in a neutral tone, Thurston's expressions of his interior reveal his struggles... Read More

Fans may be disappointed that this is Maisie Dobbs's final adventure, but they will appreciate the tender way the various characters' closing stories are treated. Narrator Orlagh Cassidy masterfully conveys the returning characters, Maisie's extended family, and the newly introduced individuals, male and female, young and old. Cassidy's talented use of accents lends credibility... Read More

Karen Chilton's performance brings listeners close to the lives detailed in this story collection. Sanders's works are linked by the friction that emerges when family members and co-workers encounter each other in various shared spaces, sometimes begrudgingly. The stories revolve around a Black family, primarily in the Washington, DC, area, where a cross section of affluence,... Read More

Caitlin Elizabeth, Victoria Mei, Will Thorne, and Adenrele Ojo perform the first entry in a fantasy epic laden with erotic suspense. For thousands of years, a pact has existed between humanity and the gods: Every 100 years the current human king is bound to send a consort to the king of the gods, Ash, who has the ability to shift forms. Now the current human king is training... Read More

In this ensemble cast, Tia Shearer takes on the roles of narrator and Calic of No House, who is known as Alli. A brave and bold half-fae/ half-human orphan, she is trained to fight deadly battles against fae and other beasties that live in Underhill, home of the immortals. At the same time that Alli is granted a place in the royal court, Underhill disappears. With Alli in... 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

Greg Chun and Michelle Lee portray the alliance and the attraction between the two main characters whose alternating chapters tell this 1506 Korean mystery. Lee's narration is suffused with 17-year-old Isuel's desire to free her older sister from cruel King Yeonsan. Lee projects Isuel's willingness to learn sleuthing from Prince Daehyun to achieve her ends. Isuel's hatred of... Read More

Book 1 in the Myrtlewood Crones series gets a near-perfect narration from Bethan Dixon Bate. Bizarre things keep happening to 60-ish Delia Spark. She's attacked by a stranger, her daughter is being secretive, and things around her burst into flame spontaneously--for example, her ex-husband's girlfriend's underwear. To get away, Delia travels to remote Myrtlewood, where she... 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

In this short story narrated by Joyce Bean, we follow three elderly friends--Myrna, Leonie, and Chrissy--who gather once a week to taste exotic cheeses. Their routine takes an unexpected turn when they decide to take revenge upon a group of male poets who ruined the career and well-being of their dear friend, Fern, years ago. The story primarily revolves around the themes of... Read More

Narrator Brianna Bronte exudes the drama of the romance between Katy Chavos and Dane Vanderale, who is a Breed--a combination of human and animal DNA. Years ago, when Katy worked at a diner that Dane frequented, she fell in love with him, but he rejected her. Bronte captures Katy's anguish at that time. Later, Katy returns to her hometown after having gone to work for a... Read More

Narrator Johnathan McClain creates a motley crew of memorable personalities that make this thriller compelling listening. The central character is Hardy "Hardly" Reed, a drifter who works in a run-down amusement park with an assortment of losers. When Hardly sees a mother with children who appear to have been abused at the DMV, he sets out to learn who they are and rescue them.... Read More

Charlie Sanderson and Barnaby Edwards narrate a debut fantasy steeped in Slavic folklore, weaving three stories into one tale. Elisya, a naïve noblewoman who is running from an undesirable marriage; Ida, a young woman doing what she must to survive; and Telani, an aged soldier on a mission, cross paths in a castle deep in the woods. The Goddess Morana rules the land, and the... Read More

The separate elements of this audio thriller sound standard-issue, but Megan Miranda grips you from the opening scene and never lets up. Hazel comes home to small-town North Carolina for her beloved father's memorial. Her brothers are both cops, as was their dad. The whole force would be at the gathering except that an old car has just surfaced in the drought-low water of the... Read More

Rebecca Lam unfolds the incredible events behind Anna May Wong's rise to fame as the first female Chinese actor in American cinema. Lam smoothly transports listeners to the glamorous, tumultuous world of Hollywood in the 1920s. With precision and clarity, Lam captures Wong's journey from her early struggles to her rise to stardom. She recounts the challenges Wong faced as an... Read More

Stephanie Willing, Xe Sands, and Steve Quinn work together beautifully to bring forth the emotional vibrancy, complicated family dynamics, and romantic entanglements in Leavitt's latest novel. With a youthful, textured intonation, Willing captures what it feels like to be Ella, a young woman who is coming out of a fraught situation in search of a fresh start. Sands's low,... Read More

The spirited, engaging voice of narrator Bronwen Price takes listeners back to Edinburgh, Scotland, where a detective duo is solving a very personal cold case in the late Victorian period. In the fifth adventure of the Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe crime-solving team, Angus is searching for the person who murdered his mother 30 years earlier. Uninvited but undeterred,... Read More

Workplace enemies fall in love in this stand-alone contemporary romance, the third in the Paper Cuts series, narrated by Fiona Aarington and Nick Mondelli, who also narrated the series' previous two audiobooks. Tenley and Brooks are competing to become their law firm's next partner. Forced to work together on a case, each realizes that the other is the stranger they've been... Read More

Charming and engaging, Zara Ramm's voice adds joy and humor to the narration of this delightful British cozy mystery. When the ladies who run the Charity Shop Detective Agency learn that a woman has been murdered at their local dog show, they decide to take on the case. Ramm's assortment of accents and voices brings both familiarity and uniqueness to the listening experience.... Read More

Narrator Cailin Kelly establishes a youthful voice for 12-year-old Tully, who is determined to complete a marathon swim on Lake Tahoe. Kelly captures Tully's tumultuous emotions as she reflects on her past relationship with her mom, also a swimmer, who left her. Now she must learn to face the truth that her mom may not return and appreciate the support that she has from her... Read More

This compelling audiobook about the beginning of the Civil War gains resonance from its parallels with today's divisions and drift toward violence. Will Patton's narration fits Larson's authorial voice, which is frank, factual, and artfully judicious in tone. Patton suggests historical voices, but his delivery is nuanced and understated, never showy. Brief chapters track the... Read More

Christina Wong is a multidisciplinary artist who wrote and now narrates this slice-of-life novel. It's about an elderly Chinese Canadian widow who pushes a cart through Toronto's Chinatown, gathering bottles, cans, and reliving memories. David Innes's outstanding pen-and-ink illustrations, available on an accompanying pdf, are described by the narrator as the story proceeds.... Read More

Rachel LeBlang performs this debut memoir by Anna Gazmarian. When Gazmarian is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011, she discovers that many of the members of her evangelical community believe that mental illness is merely the result of a lack of faith in God. As Gazmarian grapples with her beliefs in the wake of her new diagnosis, she begins expanding her ideas on religion... Read More

This fascinating collection of voices from the disabled community is presented with care by a talented team of narrators. In her introduction to these 40 powerfully affecting essays, activist Alice Wong, who edited this volume, stresses the value of seeking and exploring intimacy. Each essay opens a window that may contain familiar elements or, perhaps, a novel mode of... Read More

The fashion magazine industry of the 1940s is wonderfully realized by Carlotta Brentan's energetic, intelligent performance. Many in the fashion industry at that time came from socially prominent families, and Kathryn and Frances McLaughlin, the identical twin fashion photographers at the center of this narrative, were no exception. Brentan's bright tone and lively pace... Read More

Pearl Hewitt narrates this story of intrigue and treachery set in 1923 among the British upper classes. Spies Dora and Rex attend the engagement party of Prince Bertie and Elizabeth, only to find themselves embroiled in a murder. When it looks like their good friend is the only suspect, Dora and Rex set out to find the identity of the real killer. The investigation takes them... Read More

Mapuana Makia lends her rich voice to this young adult fantasy. Hanalei, of the island Tamarind, has been living in exile since her father stole a seadragon egg. There she meets Sam, a lost prince, also from Tamarind. Together, they discover they can go home if they find the dragonfruit, a coveted treasure with great power. Makia delivers a balanced cadence and an intrigued... Read More

Narrator Kelli Tager creates a strong sense of place through the Dust Bowl denizens she gives voice to in this fairytale-esque historical drama. Driven by Hollywood dreams and the threat of Depression-era destitution, Stella Fischer operates a small moonshine still in Kansas with her friend Jane and works alongside her aunt and sisters at their boardinghouse. Tager creates... Read More