New Reviews by Title: K-O

Hanako Footman performs this quiet novel featuring Koishi and her father, Nagare, both of whom run the Kamogawa Diner, a small restaurant on a side road in Kyoto. Together, they help their customers find lost meals from their pasts, researching the ingredients down to their most minute details. Each chapter is a new case, a new desperate person looking to reconnect with some of... Read More

Pop singer Boy George narrates his memoir in an honest, casual tone, creating the feeling that a good friend is confiding in you. Fans of his music will be intrigued by his direct everyday persona as he recounts a riveting journey through his life. With his trademark wit and candor, he takes listeners on a roller-coaster ride through the highs and lows of fame, addiction, and... Read More

Dual narrators Jennie Kwan and Eunice Wong deliver the first-person narrations of the two Chow sisters, who live in L.A.'s Chinatown in 1932. The pair are determined to solve the murder of their friend, film star Lulu Wong. Kwan's narration is more quickly paced, perfectly representing the bold, quick-acting 18-year-old Gemma. Wong's narration, deeper in tone, is equally apt... Read More

Narrator R.S. Klein leads a full cast in this spirited mystery. Listeners first meet Mitchell, an ex-cop turned private investigator whose confidence and offbeat humor serve him well. He is portrayed by Tom Westley. When acid-tongued Eleanor Marbury-Coyne, splendidly portrayed by narrator Laura Ann, calls on Mitchell to rescue her husband from a loan shark, the action takes... Read More

Vanessa Johansson and Angus King provide a dual narration for a romance set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Consultant Addie Macrae designs a business plan for Heart of the Highlands tour company. Logan Sutherland, who owns the company with his father, is deeply resistant to her profit-centric approach. Johansson matches Addie's businesslike attitude and embarrassment over her... Read More

Featuring an ensemble cast, this audiobook introduces teenaged female soldiers known as "kindlings." Trained to kill from the age of five by using magic that drains their lifespan, they are now prohibited from using their skills. But violence lingers, and seven kindlings join together for one last fight to save a country village. Despite the use of an individual narrator to... Read More

Jacques Roy's warm, even performance makes for an inviting listen. We may think we know when an animal is in play mode, but how do we understand the deeper mysteries of animal behavior? Listeners will appreciate this audiobook's deep dive into thoughtful research on concepts we may assume we understand. What, exactly, is animal play? What constitutes fun for a monkey or a seal?... Read More

Salman Rushdie offers an emotionally resonant account of the shocking knife attack that almost ended his life in 2022 in Chautauqua, New York. In a measured tone, Rushdie describes the events of that day, including the excruciating 27 seconds in which he encountered his would-be assassin and the terrible graphically described wounds that his body sustained. While the attack is... Read More

It's a family affair with father, mother, and daughter--Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen--sharing the narrative duties in this inventive collection of Writers of the Future Contest-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories. The works are by established and first-time authors from around the globe. Taylor brings a wistful gentleness to an AI cat in "The Edge of Where My... Read More

In mid-eighteenth century London, Lady Charlotte's upper-class lifestyle is captured in Katy Sobey's heartfelt and well-paced narration. Rejecting the idea of a betrothal to a duke with a nasty reputation--gossip suggests he murdered two wives--she takes her future into her own hands, pairing up with two female cousins who own a coffeehouse. With author Violet Marsh taking... 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

Beverley A. Crick gives a spirited performance of this historical adventure. In mid-nineteenth-century Europe, Clara, who is wrongfully accused of being "insane," meets Theodore, her grandfather's new apprentice. Theodore then whisks Clara away on scavenger hunt around Europe to find a flying machine that is coveted by villainous enemies. Crick gives a cheeky flavor to her... Read More

Adjoa Andoh narrates a short story collection by Ann Leckie that includes 18 works set in the worlds of the Imperial Radch and the Raven Tower, as well as several stand-alone pieces. Andoh's stellar skills are on display in every piece, making the stories of gods, humans, and other assorted beings incredibly compelling. Standouts include "The Sad History of the Tearless Onion,"... Read More

This timely audiobook is an engaging follow-up to the bestselling author's work on psychological flourishing. Narrator Landon Woodson's heartfelt performance authentically represents the author, a renowned sociologist. Keyes's own storytelling skill creates a smooth transition into the audio format since the scientific information is presented in the context of real-life people... 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

David Lee Huynh narrates a wild and entertaining fantasy inspired by Thai mythology. Ex, the youngest member of the illustrious Phi Hunters Order, seeks to prove himself with a near impossible task: slaying the demon of nightmares, Shar-Ala. His plans go awry when he's forced to escort a pregnant runaway through a dangerous forest filled with spirits, demons, and assassins.... Read More

Author and narrator Antwan Eady creates a tender first-person story of a boy who helps his Papa harvest, transport, and sell goods at his local farm stand each weekend. Eady speaks slowly and clearly in the cadence of poetry. His lengthy pauses often serve to highlight the colorful imagery and alliteration found in the community--black hands, gray hair, yellow sun, white eggs,... Read More

Richard Lam narrates this coming-of-age story of 13-year-old Hoi Wing Woo with honesty and compassion. Woo, who is sent to Canada from China in 1913 by his father, is isolated, lonely, and frustrated by his mind-numbing job in a Chinese laundry. Bullying and language barriers are causing his dream of becoming a scholar to fade. Elder Uncle is demanding and impatient, while... Read More

Christine Mirzayan's dynamic narration is perfect for this rom-com about rival Armenian American families in the food industry who are competing for a Super Bowl commercial. Nazeli begrudgingly takes time off from her marketing job in tech to help her parents win the competition. While doing so, she meets confident and cute Vanya. One amazing date later, the women find out... Read More

Chip Conley's narration of his own words of wisdom--drawn from personal and professional experiences, research, and stories of others--challenges listeners to rethink their approach to midlife. Speaking at a good pace in a friendly and encouraging tone, Conley addresses specific realities of aging, prompting listeners to answer questions, rephrase their self-talk, reach out to... Read More

Author and narrator Uché Blackstock sounds authentic and urgent in this plea for medical practitioners to combat the racism that still exists in all aspects of healthcare. Dr. Blackstock virtually grew up in the hospital where her mother practiced as a kidney doctor. Blackstock is appalled at the gaping systemic disparities she observed during her stints at a well-resourced... Read More

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

Tanya Saari skillfully narrates a novel inspired by the few details contained in an actual letter found in author Eileen Brill's new home. Listeners meet manipulative Quaker Joan Dumann, who obsesses about how she is perceived despite her success and wealth. Nasty Joan, well rendered by Saari, marries three times, has four neglected children, and moves from Pennsylvania to... Read More

Twists and turns, flashbacks, and surprising revelations are handled deftly by the four excellent narrators of this epistolary novel, Cathrall's debut. While it's a work of speculative fiction, there is also mystery, light romance, fascinating underwater world-building, and a magical academia. The four narrators bring the letters to life in the voices of their 15 writers. Kit... Read More

There is something soothing about returning to the lost art of letter writing with this audiobook. Add to this the elegant style of the legendary Jane Austen and the equally elegant performance of Kate Reading, and the result is fine, indeed. Reading's voice is calm, measured, and appropriately slow paced. Even though we are hearing details about lives we largely know little... Read More

Narrators Soneela Nankani and Vikas Adam delight listeners with this heartfelt romance with a dash of mystery. Jessie Ahuja, a hardworking freshman engineering student, is intrigued with the history of Davidson Tower and its ruinous fire. Ravi Kumar is an upperclassman who comes from a wealthy tech family. When the two find themselves locked in the ghostly library, they stumble... Read More

The author and podcast host narrates with charming confidence that gives these personal growth strategies enduring power. The details about Rob Dial's hardscrabble childhood and path to success are served well by his pleasing vocal tone and sincerity. His performance makes his productivity ideas sound within reach for anyone. After each chapter, conversations with his business... Read More

Using the video game paradigm of advancing to higher levels, Christian teacher Chris Pace offers a dynamic lesson on how to awaken our desire, define our purpose, and begin taking action toward our potential. Audibly flowing from his unshakable faith in divine grace, Pace's vocal energy makes everything he says glow with promise. But the foundations of this audio go beyond the... Read More

Benjamin Koenig laudably creates the vibrant personality of 70-year-old writer/performer David Vass. Listeners first meet Vass as a 7-year-old impoverished, neglected, stuttering child who had already realized he was gay. His charm and wit enabled his early success at such efforts as securing a YMCA for a 1970s gay rights event and learning to work with the entertainment greats... Read More

In this rich middle-grade mystery, narrators Nora Hunter and Pete Cross offer excellent performances that will appeal to a wide audience. Weatherby is elated when she receives a scholarship to Boston School, an exclusive private academy. But once there, she butts heads with Jack, the son of a generous alumnus. They're both selected to be candidates for the school's secret... Read More

Soneela Nankani creates a sympathetic portrayal of Vandy Guru, a mother and advice columnist who is looking for her missing daughter, Mallika. This audiobook features an experienced narrator and a sophisticated story. Nankani captures the many conflicts facing women of Indian origin in contemporary American society. Trapped between her secrets and her ambition, Vandy finds that... Read More

In this audiobook Stephen Colbert narrates the various events that affected Pope Francis throughout his life. Father John Quigley performs the numerous monologues of Pope Francis that are scattered between these historical events. The extermination of Jewish people, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and racial discrimination are a few of the topics Pope Francis discusses.... Read More

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

Bill Weir is a polished and convincing narrator with a fine voice and a professional delivery honed from his career as a television journalist. As an enthusiastic storyteller, his work with ABC and CNN has taken him around the globe. In this audiobook, he looks for solutions to global warming, water scarcity, and food issues with side excursions into why people live so long on... Read More

Journalist Zoë Schlanger gives a clear, engaging, and enthusiastic narration of her fascinating audiobook all about the controversial topic of plant intelligence. Schlanger's own sense of wonder comes through clearly as she visits botanists around the world--sometimes going into the field with them--and reports on the results of their research on plants and the amazing things... Read More

Hanne Rickert and Amin El Gamal paint a vivid and haunting portrait of life in Gaza in this collection of short stories. Their voices, rich with emotion and nuance, invite listeners to empathize with the struggles and triumphs of the people who call Gaza home. Together, Rickert and El Gamal weave a tapestry of resilience, heartache, and hope in the face of adversity. From... Read More

Set in New York City and French Polynesia in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, this mesmerizing audiobook is flawlessly narrated by Rebecca Lowman. Pia is the 15-year-old daughter of Stephen, a cardiologist at a New York City hospital, and Natalie, a marine biologist. Hoping to attend high school in person, Pia relocates from the island where Natalie is conducting... Read More

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

Gary Tiedemann and Greta Jung deftly portray the 13 middle schoolers with unique superpowers featured in these stories written by some of today's most popular authors. The diverse characters express themes of self-discovery and empathy, and the narrators fully embrace each role. Tiedemann, as Maximiliano, candidly describes time-jumping randomly into the bodies of others. Then... Read More

This story of a woman's descent into domestic abuse hasn't lost any relevance since its 1997 publication. Narrator Alix Dunmore nails each character with her varying pitch and English accents. Young Ruth is struggling in her news radio career and in the early years of marriage to the overconfident and spoiled Patrick. Eventually, she's drawn out of their Bristol flat and... Read More

Adjoa Andoh, a Shakespearean-trained actress and Golden Voice, is a great choice to narrate this James Bond classic. Andoh scales back the superhero image associated with the bombastic Bond films and returns 007 to his literary roots, dry and elegant. The second in the Ian Fleming series takes Bond on an underworld journey to Jamaica via New York City as he tracks Mr. Big, a... Read More

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

The biggest problem with this audiobook is that it is likely to spark so many ideas that listeners may need to keep stopping it to think about them. From a Jewish perspective, Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur meditates on death through 11 particular deaths. Although she is a leader of the Liberal Jewish movement, she often includes traditional views in her discussions. No one is... Read More

A full cast delivers an original drama from the Hellboy universe. Cynthia, an earnest reporter, investigates the disappearances of several New York elites in 1933. She calls upon the mysterious Lobster to help, but he's on his own case involving break-ins at research labs. Marni Penning shines as the narrator and the character Cynthia, imbuing the noir story with a fun sense of... Read More

Jack de Golia narrates the introductory novel in the Lone Wolf series. First published in 1914, the series features the Lone Wolf, Michael Lanyard. De Golia performs with appropriate objectivity, engaging listeners despite the dated language. Revelations of Lanyard's disturbing early history add credibility to his development into a jewel thief. When a group of underworld types... Read More

Rupert Degas delivers what sounds like a full-cast performance--with every accent, every dialect, every nuance in place. This grim novel is based on writer Albert Maltz's imprisonment after he insulted the red-baiting House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. The 1950s book was originally suppressed for its political message, a plea for prison reform. Degas is completely... Read More

Jessie Buckley's performance of these characters is so rich that listeners need not worry if they're unfamiliar with BROOKLYN, the first novel in which they appear. Tóibín continues the story of Eilis Lacey, an Irish woman living on Long Island who learns her husband may have fathered a child with another woman back home. Uprooting herself, she returns to Ireland and a... Read More

Two gifted narrators turn in performances that make the authors' ideas about paying attention come alive. Their vocal gifts are different and complement each other: Imani Jade Powers performs with a hushed intensity and a philosophical depth that give her interpretations real power. Byron Wagner's strengths are more stylistic; his amazing array of pitch patterns is fun to hear... Read More

Jessica Matten, a Canadian actor of Red River Métis and Cree heritage, deftly narrates the ninth installment in this series, drawing from her role as Officer Bernadette Manuelito in the DARK WINDS streaming series. Matten skillfully conveys the full range of emotions of the characters, young and old, illuminating the complex dynamics of family relationships. Former tribal... Read More

This complex audiobook revolves around Marianne, a textile historian, who is called to the Fondazione Museo Menegatti in post-WWII Verona, Italy, to certify the age of three perfectly preserved Victorian dresses that once belonged to poet Christina Rosetti. In alternating chapters, Marianne's attempts to discover more about the dresses are met with threats and violence, while... Read More

Moniqua Plante and Jacob York narrate this contemporary romance, which salutes southwestern cuisine, the entrepreneurial spirit, and love. Plante creates a memorable heroine in Elena, a Latina who is about to become head chef of the Orange Bear, a new upscale restaurant in Aspen. Despite her natural reserve, Elena finds herself falling in love with Julian, a Hollywood director... Read More

In this suspenseful thriller, Helen Laser narrates with the grit required to authentically portray Lee Ellerin, a New York city reporter turned private investigator. She's hired by the mother of Amanda, a pregnant college student who attempted suicide under suspicious circumstances and is in a coma. Marli Watson sensitively portrays Amanda in the past as she describes how she... Read More

Jeff Ebner deftly presents this autobiographical story of Jake, who suffers from multiple maladies, including anorexia. Listeners meet the once vibrant 13-year-old, who loves musicals and volunteers to read to nursing home residents--until he hears a vicious inner voice telling him he's worthless and must stop eating. Compellingly rendered chapters convey Jake's experience with... Read More

C.J. Bloom takes listeners on a whirlwind 500-mile road trip with this lively romance. Charlotte Carter is loving life in her hometown, where she teaches music. She's survived a failed engagement and her mother's cancer scare. So when she finds out her music program has lost funding, she decides to enter a tandem bicycle race to raise money. Zach, her ex-fiance's brother, will... Read More

Listeners are transported to 1843 London through Elizabeth Jasicki's narration. Apothecary Lucinda Peterson hires agent Jonathan Thorne to investigate a theft after a former beau patents a formula she invented. The listener is also introduced to a slew of secondary characters, including Lucinda's siblings and customers, as well as Thorne's daughter and co-workers. Jasicki... Read More

Nicholas Boulton delights in this story of passionate lovers. It's told from the perspective of a detective who is determined to charge the lovers with a crime following their torrid night of lovemaking in Spain's Guggenheim Museum. Boulton speaks brusquely as Detective Larramendi separately interviews the couple, who both offer the same explanation. Boulton uses pacing to... Read More

Stina Nielsen's melodious voice and elegant performing style work well for this autobiographical novel. She narrates with understanding and emulates the main character's musical musings. Her tone and timbre are just right for Jodie Rattler, the singer-songwriter who has luck in her career but challenges in her love and family lives. The references to twentieth-century music... Read More

Natalie Duke perfectly delivers the tone of Slade's concise deep dive into how America came to reject domestic manufacturing and the long-term damage that resulted. Listeners may be familiar with how union membership has bottomed out, the ripple effects of so-called free-trade agreements, and the explosive growth of online shopping. Slade's audiobook brings this damaging... Read More

Author Natalia Sylvester narrates her story in a warm and joyful tone. Abuela travels from South America to the U.S. to visit her family. Her granddaughter, Dulce, is fascinated by everything Abuela has brought in her suitcase (maleta), including treats and presents. Dulce relishes her time with Abuela and when Abulea has to go home, Dulce makes sure Abuela has treasures for... Read More

Two Native Americans narrate this short story collection in the Indigenous horror vein. The titular monsters are both supernatural --vampires, werewolves, ghosts--and all too human--a brutish boyfriend, a predatory medical system. The stories span two centuries and include members of a sprawling Cherokee family. Narrators DeLanna Studi--Cherokee Nation--and Lane Factor... Read More

Allison Aguilar's performance offers this engaging coming-of-age story plenty of heart, spunk, and power. Mani is devastated that her mother has planned a surprise trip to Guatemala that will tear her away from her friends for the entire summer. But when she learns about the disappearances of Guatemalan women, Mani is determined to fight for what's right in her community. Mani... Read More

Listeners will find it hard to pause this sci-fi political thriller--and unlikely love story. January is a climate refugee who has relocated to a colony on Mars. In London, he was a professional ballet dancer; on Mars, because he's dangerously "Earthstrong" in the lower gravity, he must wear a metal exoskeleton that inhibits his strength. With his British accent and confiding... Read More

Zoë Chao and Noah Reid bring a delightful goofiness to this time-travel romance. Five years ago, June stumbled into a wormhole and landed 85 years in the future. When her ancient phone turns on and lets her make a call, she finds Mikey, her bewildered colleague in the past, on the other end. Chao sounds thrilled--and desperate--as June urges Mikey to keep past June out of that... Read More

Multiple Earphones Award winner Eunice Wong performs this novel about a decades-long friendship between three Asian American women. Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng come of age in the '80s and '90s, trying to make their way in the world by creating art, starting a business, and becoming a neighborhood activist, respectively. As the narrative moves into the near future, we... Read More

Narrator Stina Nielsen's soft tones are a gentle respite from this complex, sometimes vicious, murder mystery set in Sweden. The second case for Detectives Charlotte von Klint and Per Berg begins with a bomb in a public square, followed by a series of robberies, then a drowned woman in the river, then another and another, all seemingly disconnected--but are they? Throughout,... Read More

Listeners return to Coyote Canyon, Montana, as Amy McFadden tells the story of Jane Tanner and Kurt Elway. Jane is taking care of her elderly grandfather, who is suffering from dementia. She wants a baby and turns to Kurt for "assistance." McFadden brings out Jane's longing for a child, as well as her trepidation about making changes in her life. McFadden's performance aptly... Read More

Presenting this comprehensive lesson, the physician authors sound businesslike and assertive--the ideal tone for advice on topics like productivity, workplace effectiveness, and career development. They sound relaxed and confident with their ideas, their voice personalities earning attention and respect for the entire production. The clever premise is that mastering every type... Read More

Narrators Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock return for the sixth audiobook in the Dark Olympus series. Hampton-Brown voices Eurydice in a high, youthful voice that reflects her reputation as the most naïve person in her family. Frustrated and more than ready to move on from her ex-boyfriend, Orpheus, she begins a steamy romance with Charon. Moorcock's deep, commanding voice... Read More

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

Katie Leung narrates this time-travel novel from the point of view of the unnamed protagonist, who works as a "bridge" at the British government's Ministry of Time. They have technology that allows them to pluck people out of time and are studying whether these "expats" can survive with no ill effects. The bridge is helping her expat, 1800s polar explorer Graham Gore, adapt to... Read More

Mara Wilson offers an admirable performance of this audiobook, the tenth in Maupin's Tales of the City series. Although part of a popular series, this title easily stands on its own. Mona Ramsey hosts American tourists Rhonda and Ernie Blaylock at her grand country home in the English countryside. Parallel plotlines unfold as Midsummer festivities approach. Wilson's timing and... Read More

This audiobook is about the perils of a family that has the unique ability to time travel. Rebecca Yeo's cautious pace and refined British accent underpin the anxiety felt by Tommy and Eva when their parents vanish into the past one day, never to return. The chapters are broken into bite-size chunks--the longest being just over 23 minutes--a structure that makes the abruptly... Read More

Jon Fosse, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023, has not reached a large audience in English, perhaps because of his Scandinavian tendency toward dark introspection. The relatively short opening section of this audiobook covers the birth of Johannes, a moment of hope and pride for his father, but the rest involves his death many years later. Listeners get hints of what... Read More

Krystal Hammond's warm voice creates a familiar atmosphere and relatable characters for a story that takes place during the pandemic. This is a feel-good audiobook about an elderly woman, a middle-aged mother, an angsty teenager, and a disabled little girl who are finding hope amid the lockdown of COVID-19. Recent widow Vivian Laurent finds her saving grace when she offers to... Read More

Ana Osorio's youthful voice seems an appropriate vehicle for recounting the story of a young Venezuelan reporter who experiences the personal and political upheaval that is taking place under the government of Hugo Chavez. Poignant moments occur throughout the audio; for example, Ramón imagines that a coup might rescue her from having to finish homework. Osorio's voice takes on... Read More

Narrator Daniel York Loh sounds refined and reserved as academic Lao She in this atmospheric twist on the cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Lao admiringly recounts the feats of Judge Dee Ren Jie, who is investigating a series of murders of Chinese men in 1920s London--murders the police seem uninterested in solving. Dee has a prodigious intellect and advanced fighting... Read More

Pearl Hewitt narrates the first episode in this new, highly entertaining mystery series set in the upper echelons of 1920s London society. Aristocratic Lady Dorothy shows up in the drawing rooms of the elite as the glamorous femme fatale Dora Laurent. When Dora's lover, Freddie, is murdered, she proceeds to investigate and to catch the criminals. She is joined by Reginald... Read More

Rupert Brooke, Alan Seeger, Isaac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, and Wilfred Owen were arguably the greatest poets writing in English during WWI. Malcolm Hillgartner delivers Michael Korda's biographies of them, telling the story of how the attitudes of poetry--and to a lesser extent of the British public--shifted as the war went on. From Brooke's glorification of... Read More

Steve Hendrickson's storytelling style is fittingly restrained as he narrates this coming-of-age story set in Siberia. The 13-year-old protagonist, who lives in an orphanage, befriends an enigmatic Armenian teen, Vardan, who is sickly and wise. He suffers from an illness aptly called "the Armenian Disease." He and others are camped by a Siberian prison awaiting their... Read More

A Black songwriting pioneer and Nashville insider, now a professor at Vanderbilt, is a tireless researcher into how Black musicians in the 1920s and '30s shaped the beginnings of what we now call country music. She says these men had no standing with that period's music gatekeepers and received no recognition, but they clearly influenced Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family, and... Read More

Emmanuel Jal--child soldier turned activist, entrepreneur, and recording artist--narrates his powerful memoir, in which he identifies 11 pillars for emotional resilience. Listeners are carried along by the slight cadence in Jal's baritone as he shares his experiences of trauma, war, and loss, as well as his hard-won wisdom. He offers listeners a road map to find their own... Read More

Laurel Canyon music legend Ellen Naomi Cohen, better known as Mama Cass of the 1960s folk-rock group The Mamas & the Papas, died at age 32. Her daughter, the author of this audiobook, was 7. Elliot-Kugell's slightly nasal narration of this biography is sincere, loving, and precise. But, sadly, the text seems unfinished and incomplete. What predominates is a compendium of... Read More

Andrew Sean Greer enthusiastically captures the inherent absurdity of an odd couple and their road trip. The brief audio story depicts the author/narrator and his mother as they travel from Kansas to California. Greer, who won a Pulitzer for his comic novel, LESS, is a natural raconteur--for photo ops he wears a fried-egg costume, and his choices for places to stay are... Read More

Mignon G. Eberhart was a popular mystery writer in the era between the world wars. Narrator Ann Richardson shares a Nebraska background with the author and brings authenticity to the production. Her sincere all-American voice chronicles a house party in a remote hunting lodge in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. Business partners and friends join the young hostess and her... Read More

Katherine Littrell portrays Theodosia, who gives up her law studies in Australia and goes to stay with her brother, Gus, in Kansas to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. When she finds the body of a famous writer who had befriended her in a coffee shop, she and Gus find their world turned upside down. They're drawn into a world of preppers, conspiracy theorists, and book... Read More

This history of American Indigenous people sounds like a well-constructed college lecture. But that's no surprise since author Kathleen DuVal is a university professor. But Carolina Hoyos's narration is far from a dry academic recitation. Rather, she comes across as a storyteller. Her voice is smooth and easy to listen to. Her pace allows listeners to absorb the author's points... Read More

Peter Wickham slips easily into the voice of the eighteenth-century English parson and naturalist Gilbert White as he delivers White's pioneering study of the seasonal patterns of plants and animals. Vigorous and precise, Wickham's performance captures not only the antique grace of White's prose, but also his understanding of the importance of the details he was recording.... Read More

Amin El Gamal is a talented narrator who brings out the drama and grit of the alleyways of modern Tehran. He becomes the voice of Issa, a salesman who is increasingly drawn into the lives of those living on the margins in his downtrodden neighborhood. Fans of international literature will sink into this story of how oppression seen cannot be unseen--especially by this reluctant... Read More

Anniwaa Buachie and Thabang Makhubela combine forces in this hilarious short story collection filled with contemporary Nigerian women who are grappling with a range of challenges. From wives who regret their marital choices to those who band together against scheming husbands, this is a treat of a listening experience. Buachie's delivery is laced with a lyrical rhythm that... Read More

L.J. Ganser narrates this wonderful historical look at the rise of baseball in New York City with his usual interested style. You can tell when Ganser is reading a quotation, but he never imposes a campy tone or a vocal imitation. He sounds involved without being overly animated as he delivers the narrative, which starts in the nineteenth century and moves through... Read More

Narrators Ferdelle Capistrano and Will Damron breathe life into this fanciful romantic story. Exes Camille and Ward reunite when they bump into each other in London. Then they accept jobs in separate magical antique shops before realizing that they're trapped and that they must use the antiques around them to solve several puzzles and riddles to escape. A limitation: They can... Read More

Gilli Messer conveys 12-year-old Miri's horror as the Nazis who occupy Paris threaten her Jewish family and friends. Miri's terror increases when she is separated from her parents and decides she must flee the citywide roundup of Jews with her 2-year-old neighbor, Nora. Messer convincingly portrays a kindly nun who relocates Miri to a girls' convent school in Chenonceau, a... Read More

Ramón de Ocampo's narrative momentum captures the dramatic 72 hours experienced by 17-year-old Antonio after he is released from a youth detention center. As Antonio reunites with friends and family, de Ocampo captures his anger at his wrongful arrest for robbery and the painful relationships that led to it. De Ocampo also expresses Antonio's remorse and desire to follow the... Read More

Narrators Callie Dalton and Jason Clarke mesmerize listeners with this enemies-to-lovers romance. Rue Siebert has a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, where she is working on a promising food science start-up. Along come the vexingly handsome Eli Killgore and his business partners, who threaten to take over the company. Dalton and Clarke transition seamlessly... Read More

The problem with the audio version of Elspeth Barker's indelible essays and stories is that you can't underline your favorite parts. That's probably just as well; your pen would go dry. Married to a poet, the author of one iconic novel, O CALEDONIA, hers was a fascinating, messy, wildly unconventional life. Barker writes about her household full of animals wild and domestic,... Read More

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

Narrators Austenne Grey and Neill Thorne delight listeners with this heartfelt small-town romance. Down-on-her-luck Wren Daniels is holding a charity auction to raise money, so she can renovate a cabin she technically can't afford. The only thing that lifts her spirits is the new friend she's made on an anonymous dating app--until she finds out the friend is the grumpy single... Read More

Narrator Valerie Rose Lohman will have listeners snort laughing through Hogle's fake dating witchy rom-com. Witch Romina Tempest uses the language of flowers to design perfect bouquets at a boutique in Moonville, Ohio. During wedding festivities, Romina fake dates her irreverent co-worker, Trevor, while her old flame, Alex King, glowers in annoyance. Lohman's voice for the... Read More

A charming story and two narrators exuding energy and warmth knock it out of the park. Simon Vance is Olivetti, a typewriter who breaks the "typewriterly" code of silence to spill his tapestry of tales in order to find his missing owner. Vance brings a gentle, snarky tone to Olivetti as he dismisses books as "one-hit wonders" and the laptop as "a show-off," delivering his... Read More

At the beginning of Abrahm Lustgarten's futuristic look at climate change, narrator Patrick Lawlor depicts the fear in the voice of a woman who wants to leave California because of its worsening wildfires. Lustgarten predicts that a wave of migration will soon affect the U.S., with Americans moving north to beat the heat and Latin Americans heading away from an even hotter... Read More

Narrator Rachel Perry will convince listeners that no retelling of Jane Austen's PERSUASION can be complete without a resident attack goose. Anne Elliott, director of Niagara-on-the-Lake's theater company, thinks Ben Wentworth is just a memory--until he returns to help with his aunt and uncle's winery on former Elliott property. Perry portrays Anne as deeply interior, full of... Read More

At the start of this fantasy/mystery narrated by Nikki Massoud, teenager Marjan's father, a veterinarian, has recently been murdered. Marjan soon discovers that she is now the only remaining member of an ancient family with a gift for working with mythological creatures. As she investigates her father's murder and provides veterinary services for magical animals, she is forced... Read More

Narrator Susan Dalian squanders a golden opportunity for a standout performance in this unique audio mystery. Dalian is perfunctory in voicing historical preservationist Kenetria Nash, who is trapped with a killer on a remote Hudson island. Ken's dissociative identity disorder takes center stage, but Dalian fails to create any vocal distinction among the cast of diverse... Read More

Imogen Church's portrayal of soft-spoken Lyla heightens the tension in this nod to one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, set on a stormy desert island. Lyla and her boyfriend have been cast in a TV game show in which five couples compete for the title of "The Perfect Couple." As the couples are cut off from the mainland and someone begins... Read More

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

Imagine being on a blind date at a basketball game--and the "kiss cam" comes around. Narrator Justis Bolding captures Nora's discomfort when she realizes she's being put on the spot. This is a story with more depth than the title would suggest. Nora and romantic lead Duke meet at the basketball game, then go their separate ways for a few years when Nora moves to a new state.... Read More

Three voices evocatively describe life in a Polish ghetto and in Auschwitz during WWII. Christine Williams narrates the majority of the audiobook, skillfully juggling the diverse timeframes and details of the memoir published in print. Felicia Lubliner's son, Irving, incorporates excerpts of 1960s recordings of programs she gave about her horrific experiences and clarifies his... Read More

Juliet Stevenson brings her usual alacrity to this challenging audiobook. Woolf's unconventional novel is in expert hands with Stevenson, whose rich voice and lilting accent keep the listener on track through the many shifts and changes in the plot. Called a "biography" by Woolf herself, the story follows protagonist Orlando through centuries of change, including Orlando's... Read More

Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders/Wiggins are the authors and narrators of this eccentric musical memoir. Both women are grand storytellers, although Wiggins is the smoother narrator, injecting more rhythm and modulation into her chapters. McGlory has the thicker Liverpool accent. Together, the pair re-create the musical history of their all-women band, the Liverbirds. The group... 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

Listeners are drawn into multiple universes in this contemplative story about a vaguely French valley surrounded by a lake, mountains, and tall fences on all sides. To the east of this valley is an identical one-- only it's 20 years in the future--and to the west is another valley--20 years in the past. The soft, reassuring voice of narrator Cindy Kay helps listeners understand... Read More

This enchanting audiobook about a spirit on the run and the skeptical human that rescues him features a stellar ensemble cast. Em Grosland portrays Ellery, whose belief in the supernatural waned after a brutal five-years-and-counting winter struck their family farm. Knox, portrayed by Kevin R. Free, is a magical assistant who hasn't heard from his queen in the same amount of... 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

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