Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine
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Find your next great audiobook on our podcast, Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine. Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile Editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. All in 6 minutes or less. It’s short, sweet, and just what your ears need. Got a bit more time? Listen to the bonus episode featuring conversations with the best voices in the audiobook industry.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
1 day ago
In Conversation with Nicholas Boulton, 2023 Golden Voice Narrator
Narrator Nicholas Boulton joins host Jo Reed to talk about being named a 2023 Golden Voice. Nicholas is an accomplished actor on stage and screen and in audio, with more than 100 audiobooks to his name. He’s celebrated for the pure quality of his voice, his facility for character, and an unerring instinct for storytelling. Jo Reed spoke with Nicholas in 2021 at the launch of our Audiobook Break podcast, which featured his narration of DAVID COPPERFIELD. In today’s bonus episode, Jo and Nicholas catch up on some of his recent audiobook projects and discuss becoming a Golden Voice.
Listen to Jo and Nicholas’s earlier conversation on our Behind the Mic podcast.
Read reviews of many of Nicholas Boulton’s audiobooks on AudioFile’s website.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Join Dreamscape Publishing as they celebrate Audiobook Month with mesmerizing tales, talented narrators, and endless inspiration for audiobook lovers everywhere! Join them online on social media or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com/
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1 day ago
A RAKE OF HIS OWN by A.J. Lancaster, read by Nicholas Boulton
Nicholas Boulton’s narration of A.J. Lancaster’s audiobook—part fantasy, part murder, part romance—is all pleasure. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the fun of listening to this audiobook from a 2023 Golden Voice narrator, Nicholas Boulton. When botanical scholar Marius encounters a murdered colleague in his greenhouse, the enthralling fae, Prince Rakken, is there to investigate. Amid more dead colleagues and adventures in various realms, Marius and Rakken begin a romance. Boulton’s crisp, drawling voice meets the challenges of this fantastical romp.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Podium Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Join Dreamscape Publishing as they celebrate Audiobook Month with mesmerizing tales, talented narrators, and endless inspiration for audiobook lovers everywhere! Join them online on social media or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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2 days ago
DIVA 2.0 by Sheryl Lee Ralph, read by Sheryl Lee Ralph
Actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph narrates her memoir and self-help guide with drama and feeling. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this audiobook, which is full of delicious anecdotes about Sheryl Lee Ralph’s life in the theater and music business, along with personal reflections on how to succeed and maintain one’s integrity. Ralph’s narration brings her full-throttle vocal range to the ups and downs of her career, and the grace and dignity that come from within. An inspiring listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Celebrate Audiobook Month with Dreamscape Publishing and get ready for thrilling giveaways, behind-the-scenes news, and much more! Check it out on their social media channels and at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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3 days ago
IT. GOES. SO. FAST. by Mary Louise Kelly, read by Mary Louise Kelly
Mary Louise Kelly, anchor of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” delivers a captivating narration of her audiobook about the challenging life of a working parent. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how this audiobook is best heard in Mary Louise’s own voice, with her journalistic yet emotional delivery. Her warm, empathetic voice; personable delivery; and experienced pacing engage listeners with her examination of life on the front lines of news and parenting.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Dreamscape Publishing is celebrating Audiobook Month with exciting giveaways! Learn more on their social media channels or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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4 days ago
YELLOWFACE by R.F. Kuang, read by Helen Laser
Helen Laser gives a mesmerizing performance in this poignant novel and biting satire. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Helen’s skill at enlivening June Hayward, a struggling white author who steals her Asian friend Athena’s manuscript when she dies. Laser captures June’s rise to fame on the success of this novel and her subsequent descent into guilt and delusions amid accusations of theft and cultural appropriation. This is a riveting production of a thrilling and thought-provoking story.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Dreamscape Publishing is celebrating Audiobook Month with exciting giveaways! Learn more on their social media channels or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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5 days ago
PINEAPPLE STREET by Jenny Jackson, read by Marin Ireland
Golden Voice narrator Marin Ireland excels at depicting the insular, privileged world of the Stockton family in this debut audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this tale of a Brooklyn Heights family that made their money in real estate, and how Marin’s narration makes listeners feel for each of these characters. She gracefully takes listeners into an exclusive milieu of private schools, galas, and grand townhouses while beautifully conveying the frailties and emotional confusion that renders this family relatable. A compelling family saga.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Join Dreamscape Publishing as they celebrate Audiobook Month with mesmerizing tales, talented narrators, and endless inspiration for audiobook lovers everywhere! Join them online on social media or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Jun 2, 2023
Nicholas Boulton — 2023 Golden Voice Narrator
AudioFile is celebrating the 2023 Golden Voice Narrators, our stars of the audiobook universe who have superb performance skills and are keenly attuned to each author whose work they narrate. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten are honoring Nicholas Boulton, a new Golden Voice narrator who has narrated more than 100 audiobooks, ranging from 19th-century classics to science fiction, history, and romance. Robin shares a sample from his narration of THE DEAD SECRET by Wilkie Collins, which shows off his fluid performance style. He gives swoon-worthy narrations in romances, from the contemporary GLITTERLAND to medieval tales like DESIRE LINES. Tune in to our podcast next week for our conversation with Nicholas Boulton about his Golden Voice honor and his work in audiobooks.
Essential listening from Nicholas Boulton:
DAVID COPPERFIELD by Charles Dickens
DEAD SOULS by Nikolai Gogol
GLITTERLAND by Alexis Hall
JUSTINE by Lawrence Durrell
THE DEAD SECRET by Wilkie Collins
Discover more about all of our Golden Voice narrators and their latest audiobooks on our website.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Dreamscape Publishing is celebrating Audiobook Month with exciting giveaways! Learn more on their social media channels or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Jun 1, 2023
Marin Ireland — 2023 Golden Voice Narrator
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten are honoring AudioFile’s 2023 Golden Voice narrators — the stars of the audiobook universe. These narrators have made significant contributions to the audiobook art form. Today Jo and Robin are celebrating Marin Ireland, a skilled narrator who loves to disappear into the stories she narrates, moving seamlessly among the characters and making each distinct for listeners. She won the 2020 Best Female Narrator Audie Award for NOTHING TO SEE HERE by Kevin Wilson, a surprising listen with interesting challenges for the narrator. Marin has an intuitive gift with her character voices, and those are on display in all of our Essential Listens. Stay tuned for our conversation with Marin here on Behind the Mic later this month.
Essential listening from Marin Ireland:
BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam
NOTHING TO SEE HERE by Kevin Wilson
SLEEPING BEAUTIES by Stephen King, Owen King
THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub
Discover more about all of our Golden Voice narrators and their latest audiobooks on our website.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Join Dreamscape Publishing as they celebrate Audiobook Month with mesmerizing tales, talented narrators, and endless inspiration for audiobook lovers everywhere! Join them online on social media or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 31, 2023
Kevin R. Free — 2023 Golden Voice Narrator
Golden Voice narrators are the stars of the audiobook universe. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten are announcing the 2023 Golden Voice narrators, an accolade that honors those who have made significant contributions to the audiobook art form and celebrates the iconic skills they bring to their performances. Today Jo and Robin are celebrating Kevin R. Free, who has narrated more than 450 audiobooks since 2001, as well as being an actor, playwright, and an artistic director at regional theaters across the country. He narrates with an infectious energy, and his performances have earned him numerous Earphones Awards and Best Audiobook honors. Robin discusses a sample of his narration of DIZZY by Jonah Winter, which shows off Kevin’s brilliant sense of musicality and rhythm, and highlights his many other audiobooks, including Martha Wells’s beloved Murderbot Diaries series. Stay tuned for a conversation with Kevin here on Behind the Mic in July.
Essential listening from Kevin R. Free:
Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries series
RHYME’S ROOMS by Brad Leithauser
SO THIS IS EVER AFTER by F.T. Lukens
THE LAST SLAVE SHIP by Ben Raines
THE LATE AMERICANS by Brandon Taylor
Discover more about all of our Golden Voice narrators and their latest audiobooks on our website.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 30, 2023
THE WISDOM OF MORRIE by Morrie Schwartz, Rob Schwartz [Ed.], read by Steven Weber, Rob Schwartz [Fore.]
The late Morrie Schwartz was the subject of the popular book and movie TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Steven Weber’s narration of Schwartz’s posthumously edited guide to aging. Weber sounds seamlessly connected to the author’s timeless wisdom and altruistic spirit. With moving personal stories and observations, Morrie invites listeners to age proactively, to live creatively, and to seize every day and opportunity to fill our later years with joy and loving connections.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 29, 2023
ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S.A. Cosby, read by Adam Lazarre-White
Narrator Adam Lazarre-White draws listeners into the new thought-provoking crime novel from S.A. Cosby. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this story of Titus Crowne, the first Black sheriff in a small Virginia county. As listeners enter Titus’s world, he is faced with a shooter at a high school, a neo-Confederate group on the march, and a serial killer terrifying the town. This is a gripping, timely tale—beautifully told. Stay tuned for an interview with S.A. Cosby coming June 6, in AudioFile’s articles.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 26, 2023
WITCH KING by Martha Wells, read by Eric Mok
Narrator Eric Mok makes Martha Wells’s wonderfully inventive and diverse fantasy eminently accessible. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun of exploring a fantasy world written by Wells, well known for her MURDERBOT series. Here, Kaiisteron, a demon prince of the underearth with the power to possess other bodies, wakes up imprisoned and confused. When he and his dear friend, the witch Ziede, escape, they set off to find answers—and Ziede’s missing wife. The story jumps between the present timeline and earlier, during a devastating war, and we slowly learn more about Kai’s history. Mok keeps up with the fast-paced action sequences and voices many lovable (and some horrible) characters with skill. Listeners will hope for more stories set in this fascinating world.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 25, 2023
ANDER & SANTI WERE HERE by Jonny Garza Villa, read by Avi Roque
Avi Roque gives a spirited and deeply emotional performance of Jonny Garza Villa’s queer love story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this rich and lively audiobook for teens. Nonbinary Mexican American teen Ander is taking a gap year before college, focusing on their art and painting murals across San Antonio. When they fall in love with their family taqueria’s newest employee, an undocumented Mexican boy named Santi, it opens up their world in unexpected ways. Roque’s warm and musical narration is utter perfection, capturing Ander and Santi’s fear with vivid immediacy and infusing their voice with bubbly happiness at the thrill of building this new relationship. A hopeful listen that’s a heartbreaking, joyful love letter to queer Latinx communities.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast com…
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May 24, 2023
POVERTY, BY AMERICA by Matthew Desmond, read by Dion Graham
Dion Graham is a master of nonfiction narration, and he perfectly complements the flow of Matthew Desmond’s treatise on poverty in America, and how to end it. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this devastatingly clear and expertly narrated audiobook. Desmond is a professor of Sociology at Princeton and well known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning EVICTED. Here he describes the depth of American poverty, the history and devastating impacts, but he also urges listeners to become poverty abolitionists and end this national disgrace. Graham performs with energy and intensity, matching Desmond’s outrage, and conveys each statistic, quotation, and insight flawlessly.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.…
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May 23, 2023
Interview with author Kwame Alexander
Poet and author Kwame Alexander joins Behind the Mic host Jo Reed to talk about his new memoir for an adult audience, WHY FATHERS CRY AT NIGHT. Alexander is the author of many award-winning audiobooks for young listeners, including THE DOOR OF NO RETURN, AN AMERICAN STORY, and LIGHT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. He’s a familiar voice on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” and a Disney+ series based on his book THE CROSSOVER has just been released. In their interview, Alexander shares his thoughts about his parents’ influence, how he came to poetry and to writing books for children and young adults, and his experience narrating this very personal memoir.
Read our review of WHY FATHERS CRY AT NIGHT on our website, along with reviews of more of Kwame Alexander’s many audiobooks for young listeners.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
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May 23, 2023
NIC BLAKE AND THE REMARKABLES: THE MANIFESTOR PROPHECY by Angie Thomas, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Magic flows as Joniece Abbott-Pratt brings to life Angie Thomas’s thrilling first fantasy novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Thomas’s new middle-grade series perfect for family road trips and young fantasy readers. Nic Blake has just turned twelve, and while she gets a pretty amazing gift (her own hellhound puppy!), her dad refuses to start teaching her to use her magical abilities. Nic and her father are Manifestors, able to use magic, though they live outside the Remarkable community and are always on the move. When Nic discovers shocking secrets he’s kept from her—and he’s arrested for a crime he didn’t commit—it’s up to her to find the truth. Abbott-Pratt captures listeners’ attention with her dramatic narration, voicing each character with heart and emotion and leaving listeners eager for the next story in the series.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommenda…
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May 22, 2023
HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry, read by Julia Whelan
Narrator Julia Whelan’s nuanced performance complements Emily Henry’s newest heartfelt romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this delicious summer romance that is full of all that listeners have come to love in Henry’s audiobooks. Every year Harriet and her friends vacation together at a cottage in Maine. Now the couples are moving onto big life decisions—but not Harriet and Wyn. They broke up months ago but can’t bear to tell the others and disrupt their tight-knit friendship, so they pretend they are still together for this last trip. Whelan’s narration makes for captivating listening in this romance that is also about growing up and chasing new dreams.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a tr…
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May 19, 2023
THE GUEST LECTURE by Martin Riker, read by Vanessa Johansson
Vanessa Johansson’s thoughtful delivery makes Martin Riker’s novel come alive. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this clever novel with a feminist economist named Abigail at its center. Having been turned down for tenure, Abigail spends a sleepless night prepping for a speech and examining her life and career and analyzing what went wrong. She’s joined by an imaginary John Maynard Keynes, on whose work she is about to lecture. This brief audiobook is captivating as it portrays a soul in conflict, while also satirizing academia.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
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May 18, 2023
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal, read by Aspen Vincent
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss J. Ryan Stradal’s audiobook and Aspen Vincent’s convincing narration of the all-Minnesota cast. Vincent has a crystalline tone, evocative style, and satisfying storytelling voice. The four generations of women who shape the plot are each given a unique sound, and all are portrayed in the honey-glow of this mostly historical novel. The plot follows the dual course of two restaurant families: one founds a chain, Jorby’s; the other runs the Lakeside Supper Club in northern Minnesota country.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 17, 2023
STEALING by Margaret Verble, read by DeLanna Studi
Narrator DeLanna Studi accomplishes an impressive feat in narrating Margaret Verble’s historical novel, set in the 1950s. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this feat of narration told from the point of view of a nine year old girl. Studi’s depiction of Kit Crockett resonates as she captures the tone and often breathless cadence of the bright child. Kit’s Cherokee mother dies, and when her white father is sent to jail, Kit is sent first to soulless clergy and then to a horrific boarding school. Studi portrays the wise Kit as a person who skillfully navigates the natural world and knows how to fend for herself.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad…
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May 16, 2023
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ARSÈNE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN-BURGLAR by Maurice Leblanc, read by Mark Meadows
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the latest mysterious audiobook available on our Audiobook Break podcast. Mark Meadows captures the lighthearted sarcasm, subtle humor, and brilliance of the thief Arsène Lupin. In this collection of nine engrossing short stories by Maurice Leblanc, listeners meet the gentlemanly burglar whose powers of deduction rival those of Sherlock Holmes—and in fact he solves a mystery before Holmes even gets the chance in “Sherlock Holmes Arrives too Late.” Excellent listening for fans of the new LUPIN streaming series, or anyone who loves a good mystery.
You can listen to all of THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ARSÈNE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN-BURGLAR for free on our Audiobook Break podcast.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Dreamscape.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeof…
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May 15, 2023
THE NEW EARTH by Jess Row, read by a Full Cast
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this sprawling contemporary novel by Jess Row and how the cast narrates it brilliantly. Jim Meskimen takes the pivotal role of the narrator in this dazzling audiobook with a thoughtful tone. Robin Miles captures the angsty brilliance of matriarch Naomi, while Jason Culp portrays her estranged husband with eloquent restraint. The children in this Manhattan-based shattered family are voiced evocatively. Each narrator gives these heady, flawed, yet compelling characters individuality and grace. A fascinating portrait of a family in distress.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 12, 2023
WANDERING SOULS by Cecile Pin, read by Aoife Hinds, Ioanna Kimbook, Ainsleigh Barber
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this historical novel set at the end of the Vietnam War. Aoife Hinds, Ioanna Kimbook, and Ainsleigh Barber perform this stunning debut that follows three orphaned Vietnamese refugees. Siblings Anh, Thanh, and Minh flee Vietnam at the end of the war, hoping to meet their parents at a refugee camp in Hong Kong. But after the rest of their family is found dead, they are sent to the UK to start a new life. Hinds performs the main portions of the audiobook beautifully, imbuing her performance with all of the characters’ intense sorrow and hope for the future, while Kimbook and Barber narrate intervals and short chapters.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more…
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May 11, 2023
THE WONDERLAND COLLECTION by Lewis Carroll, read by Simon Bubb
Simon Bubb’s whimsical narration sets the stage for Lewis Carroll’s classic tales of Wonderland. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss the fun of listening to this collection, part of this summer’s Audiobook SYNC program and available free to teen listeners in July. In addition to the more familiar ALICE IN WONDERLAND and ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, the collection includes short stories centered on mathematical problems. Bubb lends a range of vocal characterizations to the many eccentric characters, and he deftly captures the absurd humor in Carroll’s style. Learn more about SYNC at audiobooksync.com
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Thomas Nelson.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc…
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May 10, 2023
BITING THE HAND by Julia Lee, read by Julia Lee
Julia Lee performs her new essay collection that explores the complex lived reality of being the child of working class Korean immigrants in California. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Lee’s emotional performance of the audiobook. During the 1992 riots in her hometown of Los Angeles, Lee had a front-row seat to the horrors of white supremacy. As she attends college and moves on to grad school, she has her own racial reckoning as she examines her complicity in America’s racial hierarchy. Lee communicates all of her anger and frustrations at the racism she experiences and sees around her.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 9, 2023
LILIANA'S INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Cristina Rivera Garza, read by Victoria Villarreal
Victoria Villarreal becomes the voice of a loving, tormented family member, Cristina Rivera Garza, who is seeking information about the murder of her sister Liliana. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this audiobook that bears witness to Liliana’s life. Villarreal uses a soft yet determined voice to characterize Cristina on her journey to find justice for her sister, and she captures the beautiful memories that Rivera Garza shares. This memoir is a beautiful example of a true crime audiobook that doesn’t seek to make a spectacle out of tragedy but rather honors Liliana’s life, seeks justice for her murder, and ties her story into the larger issue of violence against women.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiob…
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May 8, 2023
SCORCHED GRACE by Margot Douaihy, read by Mara Wilson
In this new series, Mara Wilson narrates as the audacious heroine Sister Holiday, a queer, tattoo-covered nun brimming with a talent for solving mysteries. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss Wilson’s incredible performance as this nun with a chip on her shoulder. She creates Sister as a chain-smoking paradox, and listeners will be delighted with the depth of her emotional range as she delivers Sister’s dialogue. It’s a hard-boiled, sexy, and sometimes very funny whodunit.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Zando.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit www.audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 5, 2023
YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL by Maggie Smith, read by Maggie Smith
American poet Maggie Smith beautifully narrates her memoir about the end of her marriage and rediscovering herself as she picks up the pieces. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the intimacy of listening to Smith narrate her own memoir, which is structured as a series of short narratives walking listeners through her life transition. Starting with her heartbreak, the memoir explores not only a very specific kind of pain, but also the roles that women embrace and grow into.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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May 4, 2023
BEYOND MAGENTA: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, read by Tanya Eby, Nick Podehl, Todd Haberkorn, Roxanne Hernandez, Janina Edwards, Nancy Wu, Marisol Ramirez
An ensemble of voices delivers this candid collection of interviews with gender-nonconforming teens who struggle to be accepted. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this collection available this summer for free through AudioFile’s SYNC program in June. Tanya Eby voices author Susan Kuklin, narrating in a neutral yet respectful tone that allows the more emotional stories conveyed by the other narrators to stand out. Performed conversationally, each teen’s narrative is imbued with authenticity that recounts honest, sometimes brutal circumstances sincerely. These powerful, revelatory stories speak volumes.
Sign up for free audiobooks for teens this summer at SYNC!
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio/Candlewick.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a tr…
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May 3, 2023
VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto, read by Eunice Wong
Eunice Wong’s brisk performance perfectly suits Jesse Q. Sutano’s humorous yet poignant cozy mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this quirky mystery and its unforgettable protagonist, the 60-year-old Chinese immigrant, Vera Wong. Vera’s lonely existence takes a wild turn when she discovers a dead body in her rundown San Francisco tea shop and decides to investigate. Vera is a woman of strong opinions and decisive actions, and Wong’s crisp, accented portrayal reveals all of Vera’s amusing, endearing, and exasperating traits.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
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May 2, 2023
THE PEOPLE'S HOSPITAL by Ricardo Nuila, read by Ricardo Nuila
Physician Ricardo Nuila brings the full extent of his passion for people to his narration of his experiences with American healthcare. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this fascinating deep dive into the safety net system in Houston, Texas, focused on the public hospital Ben Taub. On staff at that hospital, Nuila saw firsthand the destructive aspects of for-profit healthcare and how often those who were truly suffering would end up in his public hospital when it was almost too late. Nulia embraces his emotions as he tells personal stories of real-life cases. What results is a powerful audiobook about what is happening to those who cannot access healthcare.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
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May 1, 2023
CODE GRAY by Farzon A. Nahvi, read by Aden Hakimi, Farzon A. Nahvi
Dr. Nahvi processes many experiences as an emergency room doctor, and Aden Hakimi effectively channels the author’s reflectiveness and compassion. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how the author leads off the audiobook with a glimpse inside the chaos and bravery of a Manhattan ER at the start of COVID. Hakimi’s presence is assured and calm as he delivers terrible stories with careful attention and kindness. Dr. Nahvi also walks us through his pre-COVID career, giving fascinating takes on the healthcare system from a doctor’s perspective, and the many challenges healthcare workers face.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic podcast comes from audiobooks.com. Visit audiobooks.com/freeoffer for three free audiobooks with a trial.
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Apr 28, 2023
CATCHING THE LIGHT by Joy Harjo, read by Joy Harjo
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss two recent audiobooks written and read by former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Mvskoke Nation). Harjo shares short vignettes about her life and her inspiration for her poetry in CATCHING THE LIGHT, and her wide-ranging topics include language, Native American history, music, and human nature, with her soft and strong voice. She meditates on why she writes poetry, and the inspiration her studies in music and art bring to her work. Her recent children’s audiobook, REMEMBER, includes one poem as well as a beautiful author’s note on the need for a poetry room in our lives, where we keep poems we love. In both audiobooks, listeners will discover greater appreciation for the power of words, music, dance, and Harjo’s generous spirit and worldview.
Read the full reviews of CATCHING THE LIGHT and REMEMBER on AudioFile’s Website. Published by Audible, Inc and Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.c…
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Apr 27, 2023
YOU CAN'T SAY THAT! by Leonard S. Marcus [Ed.], read by Tom Parks, Roxanne Hernandez, Arthur Morey, Janet Metzger, Thom Rivera, Susan Dalian
Today, the 14th season of AudioFile’s SYNC launches, and Robin Whitten tells host Jo Reed about this year’s excellent season of free audiobooks for teens, including YOU CAN’T SAY THAT! It’s a collection of interviews with authors of YA books about censorship and free expression, and it could not be more timely. Listen to hear professional narrators bring interviews with authors to life, including Angie Thomas, Katherine Paterson, and David Levithan.
Sign up for this year’s SYNC program and learn more about how to download 28 free audiobooks for teens on our website: audiobooksync.com
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio/Candlewick.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape…
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Apr 26, 2023
THE WHITE LADY by Jacqueline Winspear, read by Orlagh Cassidy
With her keen talent for British accents, narrator Orlagh Cassidy masterfully delivers this stand-alone historical mystery from Jacqueline Winspear. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Winspear’s new heroine, Elinor White. The story moves around in time from White’s life in Britain in 1947, to her recruitment in the Belgian Resistance as a teen during WWI, and her work as an SOE agent during WWII. Cassidy guides listeners through the emotional, physical, and long-term impacts of two wars and illuminates the unrecognized role of women. An engrossing experience of Winspear’s beautifully written work.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harr…
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Apr 25, 2023
THE ISLAND by Adrian McKinty, read by Mela Lee
From the opening lines, narrator Mela Lee draws listeners into this thriller. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss an audiobook with an action-packed plot. Tom, the recently remarried widower; Heather, the younger new wife; and Tom’s children travel to Australia for a medical conference. Then the family adventure turns into a terrifying situation on a remote island. As the bad goes worse, Lee’s narration never lets the suspense subside in this edge-of-your-seat thriller and 2023 Audies Finalist.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape to achieve the impossible. Can David save his son, prove his innocence, and finally uncover t…
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Apr 24, 2023
SAVING TIME by Jenny Odell, read by Kristen Sieh
Kristen Sieh narrates Jenny Odell’s audiobook that is a dazzling meditation on the possibilities and abuses of time. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how Sieh gives a lovely, engaging performance of this wide-ranging compilation. Sieh narrates with emotional breadth and cultural awareness in this book with its sprawling range of perspectives, historical references, and moving personal vignettes. Odell shows how keeping track of time is a modern invention, and obsessing about measured external time keeps us from connecting more fully with our deeper selves and the beauty around us.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape…
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Apr 21, 2023
THE TRYOUT by Christina Soontornvat, read by Grace Li, Vaneh Assadourian, Marcha Kiatrungrit, Ashley Austin Morris, Brian Sounalath, and a full cast
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about the fun of listening to Christina Soontornvat’s middle-grade graphic memoir translated into audio. Grace Li leads the narration as young Christina, a seventh grader navigating a particularly intense cheerleading tryout—plus a lot of middle-school drama. Christina was the only Thai American kid in her small town Texas school, and she faced microaggressions and outright racism. Sounds of ringing school bells and squeaking sneakers join the full cast to dramatize the story, full of joyful giggles, frustration, and determination. The audiobook’s gracefully expanded narration ensures an immersive standalone listening experience. Gimme a W . . . for WINNER!
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Scholastic Audiobooks.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for mu…
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Apr 20, 2023
LOVELESS by Alice Oseman, read by Billie Fulford-Brown, Elizabeth Schenk, Imogen Church
Billie Fulford-Brown narrates this contemporary British novel from Alice Oseman, author of the HEARTSTOPPER series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this emotional audiobook about a memorable first year at University. Eighteen-year-old Georgia has never kissed anyone, had a crush, dated, or fallen in love—and really hasn’t ever wanted any of those things. As she begins her first year at Durham University, she can’t give up her idea of a “normal” university experience. It’s only after many missteps that she claims her identity as asexual and aromantic and recognizes the deep value of her friendships. Fulford-Brown’s soft-spoken, sensitive narration makes Georgia’s many emotions ring true. Elizabeth Schenk and Imogen Church narrate a bonus short story about two fiery characters falling for each other.
Listeners can download LOVELESS during AudioFile’s SYNC free summer audiobook program for teens. Visit audiobookSYNC.com for more information — and…
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Apr 19, 2023
HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith, read by Kyla Garcia
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss how Kyla Garcia brings this award-winning 2018 novel by Cynthia Leitich Smith to life for listeners. Louise Wolfe is a smart and curious high school senior in Kansas, and a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Garcia’s bright narration suits the character as she finds her voice in the school paper, navigates crushes, and thinks about the future. Lou and her family face discrimination and harassment over her younger brother’s lead role in the school play, and she notes each time a Native stereotype appears, debating how it would be received if she spoke out. Louise is a character listeners will love to spend time with, and Garcia makes this a highly recommended and engaging listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David…
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Apr 18, 2023
BLOOD DEBTS by Terry J. Benton-Walker, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Zeno Robinson, Bahni Turpin, Torian Brackett
Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Zeno Robinson beautifully capture the voices of Cristina and Clement Trudeau, Black teenage twins growing up in a magical New Orleans family. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this action-packed YA fantasy from Terry J. Benton-Walker. A year after their father’s death, the twins fear their mother is soon to follow. Then they discover she isn’t just ill, but cursed, and they are all targets—so they set out to find the truth. Robinson and Abbott-Pratt pull out all the emotions in a tale full of closely held secrets, danger, romance, and incredible magic. Bahni Turpin and Torian Brackett narrate as additional characters, including ambitious antagonists and a terrifying god, giving listeners more insight into the complex tale.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Wil…
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Apr 17, 2023
A LIVING REMEDY by Nicole Chung, read by Jennifer Kim
Jennifer Kim movingly narrates a raw and relatable memoir about grief and loss from Nicole Chung, author of ALL YOU CAN EVER KNOW. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Chung’s story of moving away from her parents and starting her own family, and the heartbreaking loss of both of her parents. Kim’s somber narration sensitively navigates the immense guilt and grief that Chung experiences having been far from her parents when they parents died and unable to help. Kim sharply captures Chung’s pointed criticisms of the U.S. healthcare system that failed her family because of their economic status.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing…
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Apr 14, 2023
THE WAGER by David Grann, read by Dion Graham
David Grann’s enthralling audiobook is performed by a masterful narrator, Dion Graham. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss an audiobook that details the true story of HMS WAGER, an English warship that sailed in the 1740s. Graham delivers the nautical adventures at a strong pace with a mesmerizing cadence and impeccable timing. The excitement and peril of the high seas are captured through Grann’s dramatic accounts of mutiny, shipwreck, and remarkable perseverance. A compelling and entertaining listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape to achieve the impossible. Can David save his son, prove his innocence, and final…
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Apr 13, 2023
PALO ALTO by Malcolm Harris, read by Patrick Harrison
Patrick Harrison combines a fine storytelling style with a sure sense of the dramatic and a good tempo as he narrates Malcom Harris’s monumental work. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this activist’s look at his hometown and the powerful institutions that reside there, revealing the dark side of Silicon Valley. The thesis is that technological innovators and their political allies became unfathomably wealthy as they despoiled the planet, exploited workers, and were ruthless in the accumulation of money and power. Harrison’s resonant voice fits this prodigiously researched audiobook.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escap…
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Apr 12, 2023
WOLFISH by Erica Berry, read by Lessa Lamb
Lessa Lamb narrates Erica Berry’s audiobook about wolves with a fine tone and timbre. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how she inhabits the youthful sound and elegant style of this layered audiobook. Lamb’s timing and sense of occasion add richness to its informed foray into all things wolf as she captures the drama, fear, and anxiety that underlie the immersive presentation. The text weaves together the author’s own fraught coming-of-age story, recounts the accidental reintroduction of wolves in Oregon, and retells the foundational myths and lore of wolves around the world.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape to ac…
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Apr 11, 2023
ROMAINE WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY by Judith Tschann, read by Alejandra Reynoso
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff talk about a fun history of food lore and language from Judith Tschann, and Alejandra Reynoso’s gifted narration. This witty treasury of food lore will enlighten listeners curious about the origin of the fine French wine Chateau Neuf de Pape or how the orange, the fruit, gave its name to the color. Reynoso establishes just the right tone and cadence for a global journey centered on foodways.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape to achieve the impossible. Can David save his son, prove his innocence, and finally uncover the dark truth about that devastating night? Listen to the new audiobook thrille…
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Apr 10, 2023
THE CLIMATE BOOK by Greta Thunberg, read by Amelia Stubberfield, Greta Thunberg, Nicholas Khan, Olivia Forrest
Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish climate activist, has a voice that rings with passion, palpable emotion, and earnest commitment. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss her audiobook of essays, where she’s joined by a talented trio of English narrators bringing skill and understanding to the text. Climate experts and other scientists sound the alarm about the shocking state of our warming planet. This anthology of experts, artists, and, especially, the young woman influencing a generation is a clarion call.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plans a harrowing escape to achieve the impossible. Can David save his son, prove his innocence, and finally u…
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Apr 7, 2023
HOUSE OF COTTON by Monica Brashears, read by Jeanette Illidge
Narrator Jeanette Illidge’s impressive vocal versatility perfectly suits Monica Brashears’s debut novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this gothic novel featuring Southern and Appalachian folklore. Magnolia’s grandmother dies, leaving her alone at 19 with a predatory landlord and a job that pays poorly. When a white man offers her a strange but lucrative modeling job, she accepts and moves to his plantation-style house and funeral parlor. There as Magnolia impersonates the dead, Illidge’s numerous portrayals are realistically delivered. She immerses listeners in Magnolia’s horror as things gradually fall apart, and captures just the right amount of suspense for this creepy, almost supernatural listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David we…
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Apr 6, 2023
HIJAB BUTCH BLUES by Lamya H, read by Ashraf Shirazi
Ashraf Shirazi reads Lamya H’s extraordinary debut memoir with the perfect mix of tenderness and ferocity. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Lamya H’s memoir, where they use stories and verses from the Quran to reflect on their life as a queer Muslim immigrant. Shirazi’s narration is searching, conversational, and often humming with emotion. Her voice flows naturally, drawing listeners into Lamya H’s lush prose and probing questions. This powerful, vulnerable, and beautifully written and performed audiobook is a game changer for queer Muslim literature and an absolute must-listen for 2023.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be alive, he plan…
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Apr 5, 2023
IN THE UPPER COUNTRY by Kai Thomas, read by Milton Barnes, Tymika Tafari, Wesley French
Milton Barnes, Tymika Tafari, and Wesley French perform this historical novel set in Canada in the 1800s. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss this story within a story, where listeners receive a new piece of the puzzle with each chapter. Lensinda, a free Black woman working as a researcher for a Black journalist, interviews an older woman arrested for shooting a slave catcher who was trying to take her back to America. But when she begins the interview, Lensinda discovers there is more to the woman than meets the eye. Tafari’s performance of Lensinda is vibrant, while Barnes and French rotate through additional perspectives, helping listeners follow the large cast of characters.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his…
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Apr 4, 2023
LIFE ON DELAY by John Hendrickson, read by George Newbern
George Newbern performs this memoir by a journalist who became famous after he wrote about President Biden’s stutter and how he overcame it. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss John Hendrickson’s memoir that explores both the author’s own experiences with a stutter and the experiences of others. Newbern’s performance capures Hendrickson’s deep anguish from internalized ableism and an educational system that wasn’t equipped to help students with disabilities. With his ability to create emotional intimacy between the text and the listener, Newbern shows off his incredible range and skill as a narrator.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Brilliance Audio’s I Will Find You. Five years ago, David went to prison for murdering his son. But when a mysterious photo reveals that the boy might still be aliv…
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Apr 3, 2023
THE BOOK OF EVERLASTING THINGS by Aanchal Malhotra, read by Deepti Gupta
Deepti Gupta performs Aanchal Malhotra’s lush historical novel set against the backdrop of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss Deepti’s skill at giving voice to the dozens of characters in this multigenerational family saga. A Hindu teen named Samir, who is working in his family’s perfume shop in 1930s Lahore, falls in love with Firdaus, the daughter of a Muslim calligrapher. As tensions between Muslims and Hindus increase leading up to Partition, Samir and Firdaus believe their love can withstand anything. Gupta captures the deep emotional connection between the two young people, making listeners feel hope that they will find a way to stay together. Gupta’s performance complements this sweeping story, dazzling with every new chapter and plot twist.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Sup…
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Mar 31, 2023
MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER by Rupert Holmes, read by Neil Patrick Harris, Simon Vance
Simon Vance and Neil Patrick Harris combine their narrative talents to present an unusual mystery set in a 1950s school instructing students how to “morally” murder—and get away with it. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Rupert Holmes’s fun and over-the-top mystery audiobook. Listeners meet three students at this unusual school. In addition to learning methods to inventively delete (murder) deserving victims, cleverly rendered quotes from the school’s handbook offer further diabolical fun. The action and spirited renderings amp up as each student must successfully delete their intended victim—or be eliminated by the school.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, inc…
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Mar 30, 2023
THE LEVEE by William Kent Krueger, read by JD Jackson, William Kent Krueger [Note]
Golden Voice narrator JD Jackson acts out William Kent Krueger’s dramatic audio-original novella. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this AudioFile Earphones Award-winner set in Mississippi in 1927. Listeners learn of a potential breach of a levee, the only thing holding back torrents of water during unprecedented flooding of the lower Mississippi River. Four men arrive by boat and work tirelessly to save the levee and rescue stubborn stranded residents. Jackson’s deep, gravelly voice pervades the performance. The raging river’s inexorable attacks are reflected in Jackson’s cadence as he adds emotional energy to the exhausting fight between men and the mighty Mississippi.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some…
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Mar 29, 2023
2023 Audie Awards Recap
Hear all about the 2023 Audie Awards from AudioFile’s Michele Cobb and host Jo Reed! Listen in as they highlight the winners of Audiobook of the Year, Best Male and Best Female narrators, and more. You can visit www.theaudies.com for a full list of the Audie Award winners and finalists — and if you want to catch up with the full livestream of the event, visit the APA website. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists of this year’s Audie Awards!
See the full list of Audie Award winners and finalists at www.theaudies.com
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 28, 2023
SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST by Michelle Buteau, read by Michelle Buteau
Fans of comic, commentator, and actor Michelle Buteau will laugh out loud through her frank essays. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Buteau’s lively narration—and her upcoming role as host of the 2023 Audie Awards. Michele and Jo discuss Buteau’s essay collection that highlights key moments in her life, written and narrated in her fun and brash style. A stellar example of an entertainer turned writer using her talents as a narrator.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Mar 27, 2023
REALLY GOOD, ACTUALLY by Monica Heisey, read by Julia Whelan
Julia Whelan is the perfect narrator for Monica Heisey’s emotional novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how her performance enhances the engaging journey of Maggie, a nearly 30-year-old graduate student whose life isn’t going as planned. At first, Maggie thinks the amicable ending of her short marriage as a modern uncoupling, but eventually she realizes she’s fallen into unhealthy habits—far after her friends and colleagues do. Whelan’s narration will have listeners rooting for Maggie to find herself even during her darkest moments.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more…
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Mar 24, 2023
THE WICKED BARGAIN by Gabe Cole Novoa, read by Vico Ortiz
Vico Ortiz narrates an action-packed fantastical pirate adventure with gusto. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the excitement of listening to Gabe Cole Novoa’s thrilling YA audiobook. Sixteen-year-old Mar has to hide twice over—they wear a chest binder, and they have strong magical control over fire and ice that demands to be used. Slipping seamlessly between English and Spanish, Ortiz puts listeners firmly in Mar’s point of view with their appealingly husky voice and dramatic pacing. Listeners will be swept up in the action with shipwrecks, deals with the devil, and dramatic battles both magical and piratical.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines,…
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Mar 23, 2023
BABEL by R.F. Kuang, read by Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown
Chris Lew Kum Hoi brings an incredible range of languages and voices to life for listeners in this sharp fantasy from R.F. Kuang. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the skilled narration of this breathtaking alternate history. Orphaned and taken from China to be raised in England, Robin Swift trains for years to join the Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford, housed in its Babel tower. As he learns to wield the power that exists when language is translated, he discovers the violences that colonialism perpetrates—and aids in a rebellion. Billie Fulford-Brown narrates numerous footnotes playing up the author’s dry wit, while Bianca Chen voices key sections in Mandarin. It’s a story full of secrets, fierce friendships, betrayal, murder, and revolution.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCo…
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Mar 22, 2023
SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL by Anita Kelly, read by Mark Sanderlin
Mark Sanderlin narrates this charming romance set on the Pacific Crest Trail with the perfect mix of emotion and humor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this hiking romance full of beautiful vistas, surprise rattlesnakes, and trail magic. Alexi and Ben set out to hike the PCT for very different reasons, but when they meet each other on the trail and decide to be hiking partners, they discover a sweet connection. Sanderlin’s narration sounds natural, and he smoothly captures Ben’s distinct laugh, Alexi’s nerdy monologues about birds, and their growth as they connect on the trail and off. A vivid and transporting listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Ga…
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Mar 21, 2023
LOVE AT FIRST PSYCH by Cara Bastone, read by Santino Fontana, Stephanie Einstein, and a Full Cast
Santino Fontana and Stephanie Einstein lead a full-cast performance of Cara Bastone’s newest audio-first romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun and joy of listening to one of Bastone’s romances. Robbie and Marigold are two older college students working on a group project for their psychology class exploring whether love at first sight exists. Listeners hear their lively interviews in a diner, at the zoo, even at the mall, and a full soundscape sets the scene. Fontana gleefully expresses Robbie’s flights of fancy as Einstein uses mock disapproval to illuminate Marigold’s eventual warming toward her project partner. A fun and engaging romance. Read our interview with author Cara Bastone for more on how she writes her audio-first romances.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCo…
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Mar 20, 2023
THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR by Kristina Forest, read by Keylor Leigh, Malik Rashad
Narrators Keylor Leigh and Malik Rashad work together beautifully to deliver this heartwarming slow-burn romance from Kristina Forest. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this story of two twenty-somethings who fall for each other twice over — once over a months-long email conversation, and once when they serendipitously wind up as neighbors. Lily and Nick form an easy connection as friends, but it takes a long time for them to realize their feelings for one another. Leigh portrays Lily with bright, sympathetic tones, while Rashad splendidly expresses the undertone of family trauma that underlies Nick’s friendly persona.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines…
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Mar 17, 2023
POETRY UNBOUND by Pádraig Ó Tuama, read by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Based on Pádraig Ó Tuama’s popular podcast, “Poetry Unbound,” this audiobook is a fine anthology of poetry, and a very good introduction to how to think about poetry itself. Ó Tuama is an especially good interpreter of poetry, both as a critic and as a reader, and he narrates brief and insightful essays about each of the fifty poems included in the collection. Each poem is read with thoughtfulness and skill in his Irish brogue, voicing poems from Ada Limón, Ilya Kaminsky, Ocean Vuong, and more.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 16, 2023
A WINTER GRAVE by Peter May, read by Peter Forbes
Peter May’s excellent mystery pairs an outstanding performance by narrator Peter Forbes with a riveting story set in near-future Scotland. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this environmental sci-fi thriller set in the year 2051. Forbes is extremely easy to listen to, and he handles both dialogue and narration with aplomb. In this story, Detective Inspector Cameron Brodie is dispatched to the Highlands to investigate the murder of a man found encased in ice. The expressive narration and intriguing plot make for an atmospheric and memorable listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Quercus Editions.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so man…
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Mar 15, 2023
THE WOMAN WHO SPLIT THE ATOM by Marissa Moss, read by Sandy Rustin
The life of groundbreaking nuclear physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) is given voice by narrator Sandy Rustin. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how this inspiring audiobook will be available for free for teen listeners this summer through AudioFile’s SYNC program. Marginalized by sexism, Meitner, an Austrian Jew, struggled to pursue the field she loved, eventually earning her colleagues’ respect and a partnership with chemist Otto Hahn in Berlin. Nazi policies stripped her of her position and forced her to flee. In exile, she recognized the atomic behavior described by Hahn to be nuclear fission. Rustin’s nuanced delivery lets the story speak for itself, allowing listeners to feel Meitner’s anger and sorrow as Hahn eventually betrays their partnership and her world-changing insight is used in war.
Learn more about free audiobooks for teens at audiofilesync.com
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find m…
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Mar 14, 2023
THE NIGHT TRAVELERS by Armando Lucas Correa, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Edoardo Ballerini provides a gripping performance that captures the backdrop of historical events in Armando Lucas Correa’s novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this Golden Voice narrator’s skill at engaging listeners in a multi-generational saga that moves from Germany to Cuba to New York, encompassing war and revolution, family secrets, and devastating truth.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 13, 2023
SECRETS TYPED IN BLOOD by Stephen Spotswood, read by Kirsten Potter
Private detectives Lillian Pentecost and Willowjean Parker are back! Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss a new mystery audiobook from Stephen Spotswood, with a smashing performance by Kirsten Potter. It’s New York City in 1947, and Holly Quirk, writer of gruesome murder stories for STRANGE CRIMES magazine, hires detectives Pentecost and Parker after discovering that three murders from her stories have been enacted in real life. Plot twists and Potter’s narration put this clever P&P adventure right up there with the best.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 10, 2023
CHAOS THEORY by Nic Stone, read by Dion Graham, Nic Stone
Author Nic Stone and narrator Dion Graham give voice to Shelbi and Andy, two teens who form an unexpected connection. Graham provides a multilayered portrayal of 18-year-old Andy, whose drinking is largely in response to trouble processing his younger sister’s death. Stone portrays Shelbi, a 16-year-old just released from a mental health facility for self harm. Together the narrators explore their characters’ vulnerabilities.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 9, 2023
CODE NAME BLUE WREN by Jim Popkin, read by Jim Popkin
Investigative journalist Jim Popkin takes listeners on an incredible journey through the life of Ana Montes, possibly the most damaging female spy in America’s history. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a story where truth is stranger than fiction. Montes, the government’s top Cuba expert, worked closely with the intelligence community in the Castro years. She had top-secret clearance—and passed classified documents to Cuba. Popkin presents this true account with a matter-of-fact delivery, telling of the damage caused by Montes’s seventeen-year spying career.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harlequin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Ne…
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Mar 8, 2023
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE by Benjamin Stevenson, read by Barton Welch
Narrator Barton Welch keeps Benjamin Stevenson’s entertaining, highly original mystery light and lively, even during its most intense moments. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a listen all about a family of killers (some more culpable than others). Ernie Cunningham self-publishes books on writing, and he speaks directly to listeners. Each chapter is dedicated to a family member responsible for a death, and Welch keeps Ernie’s tongue-in-cheek attitude and direct comments amusing.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 7, 2023
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU by Rebecca Makkai, read by Julia Whelan, JD Jackson
Julia Whelan’s performance is so consistently gripping that listeners might attempt to finish Rebecca Makkai’s entire audiobook in a single sitting. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss an audiobook all about a true-crime podcaster. Bodie has returned to her boarding school alma mater to teach a few courses in her area of expertise, podcasting, and is encouraged by her students to re-investigate the murder of Bodie’s roommate, Thalia. There are doubts as to whether the man imprisoned for the murder is actually guilty, and as Bodie digs deeper, she’s forced to confront complicated relationships on campus and beyond. Whelan deftly navigates the cast of characters, and JD Jackson shines in a pivotal cameo.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing…
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Mar 6, 2023
THE SURVIVALISTS by Kashana Cauley, read by Bahni Turpin
Kashana Cauley’s satirical comedy about survivalists, gun dealing, and finding happiness is masterfully narrated by Bahni Turpin. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this lively and surprising audiobook. Aretha, an up-and-coming attorney, falls for Aaron, and when she moves in, Aretha discovers another side of him. Aretha’s life is thrown into chaos when she’s fired for missing a day of work—and then Turpin embodies a new and improved Aretha who only looks out for herself. Turpin’s performance perfect for this story full of sharp dialogue and a wicked sense of humor.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado…
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Mar 3, 2023
AudioFile Favorites: MIRACLE AND WONDER by Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam, Paul Simon, read by Malcom Gladwell, Paul Simon
This week Behind the Mic is revisiting favorite audiobooks that are contenders for the 2023 Audie Awards. In today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss MIRACLE AND WONDER, which gives listeners insights into Paul Simon’s professional and private life. Hear all about Simon’s songwriting, in his own words, through hours of conversations with the musician. This audiobook is a finalist for the 2023 Audiobook of the Year.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Pushkin Industries.
Explore a full list of this year’s Audie Award finalists, along with audiobook reviews and sound samples, at theaudies.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 2, 2023
AudioFile Favorites: THE 1619 PROJECT by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Magazine, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, Jake Silverstein [Eds.], read by Nikole Hannah-Jones and a Full Cast
AudioFile’s Behind the Mic is highlighting audiobooks that are up for the 2023 Audie Awards. Today we’re hearing AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff and host Jo Reed in discussion about THE 1619 PROJECT, Nikole Hannah-Jones’s ambitious work with the New York Times Magazine that tells the story of America through the lens of slavery. It’s a contender for the 2023 Audiobook of the Year and a finalist in the Multi-Voiced Performance category.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Explore a full list of this year’s Audie Award finalists, along with audiobook reviews and sound samples, at theaudies.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
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Mar 1, 2023
AudioFile Favorites: GOOD OMENS by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, read by a full cast
We’re revisiting favorite episodes this week on Behind the Mic, highlighting audiobooks that are up for 2023 Audie Awards. Today host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss a fantastical full-cast audiobook adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s apocalyptic GOOD OMENS. This favorite comic novel gets the all-star treatment with narrators including Michael Sheen, David Tennant, and more. It’s up for Audie Awards in the Audio Drama and Fantasy categories this year.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Explore a full list of this year’s Audie Award finalists, along with audiobook reviews and sound samples, at theaudies.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Joanna Gaines, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more!
Learn more abou…
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Feb 28, 2023
AudioFile Favorites: NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Behind the Mic is sharing episodes this week focused on some of the 2023 Audie Award finalists. Today’s episode is on NIGHTCRAWLING, Leila Mottley’s novel narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt. This audiobook is up for the Best Female Narrator Audie this year, and it was also one of AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of 2022. Listen in to hear host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discussing this powerful fiction audiobook with unforgettable narrators and a moving narration.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Explore a full list of this year’s Audie Award finalists, along with audiobook reviews and sound samples, at theaudies.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepp…
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Feb 27, 2023
AudioFile Favorites: FINDING ME by Viola Davis, read by Viola Davis
Behind the Mic is revisiting audiobooks that are up for the 2023 Audie Awards. The Audie Awards are the Oscars of audiobooks and shine a spotlight on excellent audiobook performances. We’re starting with an audiobook that has already won a Grammy this year — Viola Davis’s FINDING ME. Davis’s electric memoir is up for an Audie Award in both the Audiobook of the Year and Narrated by the Author categories, and it was on AudioFile’s list of Best Audiobooks of 2022. Learn more about this audiobook in host Jo Reed’s conversation with AudioFile’s Michele Cobb.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Explore a full list of this year’s Audie Award finalists, along with audiobook reviews and sound samples, at theaudies.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a…
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Feb 24, 2023
HAVE YOU EATEN YET? by Cheuk Kwan, read by Brian Nishii
Narrator Brian Nishii’s delivery brings a multicultural finesse to author Cheuk Kwan’s search for Chinese restaurants around the world. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this culinary journey across Brazil, Mumbai, Saskatchewan, the Caribbean, Israel, and to far flung outposts, all where Chinese restaurants can be found. Using delectable food creations as entry points, this heartwarming and enlightening exploration of the Chinese diaspora is a sumptuous smorgasbord of culture and history that is sure to satisfy even the biggest appetite.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with hi…
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Feb 23, 2023
FOODTOPIA by Margot Anne Kelley, read by Nicol Zanzarella
Nicol Zanzarella’s crisp narration propels Margot Anne Kelley’s wide-ranging love letter to homegrown food. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Zanzarella performs this examination of the historical impulse to live off the land. Kelley looks back at utopian foodways, from failed 19th-century experiments to 20th-century back-to-the-land hippies to current rural escapees. She captures the yearning for self sufficiency, explores challenges for African American farmers, and reflects on the omnipresence of big agriculture.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping ro…
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Feb 22, 2023
EAT & FLOURISH by Mary Beth Albright, read by Caroline Shaffer, Grover Gardner [Intro.]
Narrator Caroline Shaffer brings the right tone and tempo to Mary Beth Albright’s audiobook on “How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being” that examines the relationships between food and mood. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this packed audiobook that merges experience with science—and includes recipes. A talented food writer for the WASHINGTON POST, Albright has a gift for simplifying the complex and gamely participates in experiments. A fun and informative listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping roommates. Packed with tension, curiosity and opt…
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Feb 21, 2023
SEAT AT THE TABLE by Marcus Samuelsson, read by Marcus Samuelsson, Jonathan Waxman
Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s podcast gives listeners insider access to the world of fine dining. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the episodes dedicated to eight iconic eateries. Samuelsson and co-host chef Jonathan Waxman regale listeners with tales of famous restaurants including The French Laundry, Spago, and Dooky Chase, as well as Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune, which shuttered during the start of the COVID pandemic. All the backstories and fortunes of the various establishments make this a compelling listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping r…
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Feb 20, 2023
RED SAUCE by Ian MacAllen, read by Paul Bellantoni
Paul Bellantoni narrates Ian MacAllen’s witty audiobook with a fine delivery and a rich tone. AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff tells host Jo Reed about an audiobook that will make you want to open a bottle of chianti and pull up a chair for a delicious meal. MacAllen’s history is part celebration of the traditional checkered tablecloth joints and part revelation of the origins of Italian dishes that American celebrate. Listeners hear of the history of dishes from tetrazzini to pasta primavera and will definitely be left craving a big plate of spaghetti.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-p…
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Feb 17, 2023
A MINOR CHORUS by Billy-Ray Belcourt, read by Jesse Nobess
Jesse Nobess gives a contemplative performance of Cree poet Billy-Ray Belcourt’s genre-defying debut novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss this novel of ideas told from the perspective of an unnamed protagonist writing a novel based on oral histories. Jesse Nobess embodies the unnamed protagonist’s narrative voice. The character talks to many closeted gay Indigenous men, discussing why they feel they can’t be open with their identities. Nobess often sounds as if he's working something out as he speaks, which suits the story that explores ideas, feelings, and theory. Creative, moving, inventive, and powerful, this audiobook is a must-listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hamish Hamilton.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawy…
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Feb 16, 2023
MOONRISE OVER NEW JESSUP by Jamila Minnicks, read by Karen Chilton
Karen Chilton’s performance of Jamila Minnicks’s debut novel is what happens when an outstanding narrator finds their perfect match in a text. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this historical novel about Alice Young, who in 1957 flees her home in rural Alabama and lands in New Jessup. It’s an all-Black town that has spent generations carving out a place for itself as a safe haven for Black families. Chilton is a stunning narrator, and she captures the Southern dialect and Alice’s narrative voice to tell this emotional story of community and love.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn br…
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Feb 15, 2023
ANOTHER APPALACHIA by Neema Avashia, read by Jeed Saddy
Jeed Saddy performs this dazzling debut essay collection from author Neema Avashina. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss the essays, which explore Avashia’s experience growing up as a queer Indian American woman in West Virginia. Identities are messy, and Saddy’s narration captures the emotional complexity of Avashia’s life. As we follow Avashia through basketball games and Hindu holidays, Saddy imbues her performance with all of the tenderness and hope that Avashia has for her hometown and the people who helped make her who she is today.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with h…
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Feb 14, 2023
BAD CREE by Jessica Johns, read by Tanis Parenteau
Tanis Parenteau leaps right into narrating Jessica Johns’s chilling debut horror novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss a story where dreams become horrifyingly real. Mackenzie is a 20-something Cree woman living in Vancouver, and she wakes from a vivid nightmare with a crow’s head clutched in her hand. Parenteau conveys all of Mackenzie’s anxiety and quickens her pace as Mackenzie’s nightmares turn more sinister and she’s stalked by crows. Mackenzie returns home after years away, and as her family becomes involved, each loving relative comes alive through Parenteau’s rich characterizations.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls f…
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Feb 13, 2023
AGE OF VICE by Deepti Kapoor, read by Vidish Athavale
Vidish Athavale draws listeners into this sweeping crime novel set in New Delhi. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss Deepti Kapoor’s epic story packed with twists and turns. When a speeding Mercedes jumps off the road and kills five people, Ajay takes the fall for his boss, Sonny, the son of a rich man with criminal dealings in the city. Athavale’s narration captures both the tumultuous life of Ajay’s childhood and the endless spectacle of Sonny’s backroom dealings. It’s an audiobook with an incredible atmosphere that will have listeners on the edge of their seats until the very end.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee…
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Feb 10, 2023
NICK AND CHARLIE by Alice Oseman, read by Joe Jameson, David Stagg
Narrators Joe Jameson and David Stagg tenderly deliver this touching audiobook that’s an essential listen for fans of the Heartstopper series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this heartfelt novella, full of angst, set after the Heartstopper graphic novels. Charlie is anxious about Nick’s impending departure for university, and what long distance will mean for their relationship. Charlie, voiced by Jameson, is full of uncertainty, while we hear Nick’s initial confidence fall apart in Stagg’s moving narration. Listeners will be holding their breath until the story’s sweet conclusion.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Scholastic Audiobooks.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a cof…
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Feb 9, 2023
SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING by Roseanne A. Brown, read by Soneela Nankani
Narrator Soneela Nankani suffuses Serwa Boateng with strength and passion in Roseanne A. Brown’s fantastic audiobook for middle-grade listeners. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun and thrills of getting to hear Serwa’s story, rooted in Ghanaian folklore. Serwa has spent her life training with her parents to fight deadly adze, fierce vampires. Suddenly, she’s sent to live with non-magical family members while her parents go on a deadlier mission, and she has to navigate middle school for the first time. As Serwa goes up against bullies and racist teachers, Nankani leans into her pain—but when an adze appears at school, Serwa finds a team of unlikely allies.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Disney Hyperion.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitio…
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Feb 8, 2023
INVISIBLE by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Gabriela Epstein, read by Andrés Hinspeter-Seda, Noah Rico, Lisset Díaz, Sarah Tie, Christian Barillas, and a Full Cast
Five very different students find commonality and friendship in this superb audio adaptation of Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriela Epstein’s bilingual graphic novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the outstanding full cast, including the animated performances of the five students in all their complexities, in both Spanish and English. The students are all part of a morning volunteer program in the cafeteria, and they each play a role in supporting a family they discover are in need of some extra help and kindness.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Scholastic Audiobooks.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-pr…
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Feb 7, 2023
RUBY SPENCER'S WHISKY YEAR by Rochelle Bilow, read by Nikki Massoud
Nikki Massoud’s lively voice welcomes listeners to a charming Highlands romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this contemporary romance from Rochelle Bilow that provides a delicious escape. Ruby Spencer is desperate to make a change, and she flies off for a year in Thistlecross, Scotland, hoping for inspiration to write a cookbook and find a fresh start. She finds gorgeous countryside, a charming community, and romance, all brought to life by Massoud’s talented narration.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping roommates. Packed with tension, curiosity an…
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Feb 6, 2023
HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE by Talia Hibbert, read by Amina Koroma, Jonathan Andrew Hume
Amina Koroma and Jonathan Andrew Hume bring liveliness and charm to an utterly delightful teen romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about this wonderful YA debut from beloved British romance author Talia Hibbert. Koroma delivers all of Celine’s snark and wit, while her ex-best-friend-now-rival Brad is narrated with sweet charm by Hume. The two are suddenly spending way more time together as they compete in a wilderness survival program, out in the woods of England and Scotland. Listeners are certain to laugh, cheer, and root for the two to find their way back into each other’s hearts.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrep…
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Feb 3, 2023
WINNIE-THE-POOH by A.A. Milne, read by Barbara Rosenblat
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten talk about a childhood favorite, WINNIE-THE-POOH, which Golden Voice narrator Barbara Rosenblat enlivens with a magnificent performance. Rosenblat masterfully delights in and embodies wonder, innocence, and imagination in her narration. Children of all ages will enjoy the story of Pooh’s love of honey, the search for Eeyore’s tail, the hunt for a Woozle, and more. Listen along to the tale on our Audiobook Break podcast, and visit all the favorite friends in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Design Sound Productions.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur and moves into his Brooklyn brownstone with his doomsday-prepping room…
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Feb 2, 2023
WAYPOINTS by Sam Heughan, read by Sam Heughan
Sam Heughan, OUTLANDER’s Jamie Fraser, recounts his journey across the 96 miles of Scotland’s West Highland Way. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how Heughan completely charms listeners with his engaging style and enthusiasm. The story of his journey becomes a metaphor for Heughan’s life as an actor in his atmospheric and absorbing memoir. The inclusion of live recordings made during Heughan’s hike, complete with the sounds of strong wind and heavy rain, are a lovely addition. A great audiobook for fans of OUTLANDER, armchair travelers, or anyone looking for an adventurous listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur…
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Feb 1, 2023
ROUGH SLEEPERS by Tracy Kidder, read by Tracy Kidder
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Tracy Kidder’s newest audiobook exploring the complex problems of homelessness, and how one person can make a difference. Kidder’s light, somewhat raspy voice unfolds the story of Dr. Jim O’Connell and his clinic partners, who have devoted themselves to bringing comprehensive and compassionate healthcare to those living on the streets of Boston. The focus, however, is firmly placed on those using Dr. O’Connell’s services, and Kidder provides a riveting, intimate glimpse of the lives of rough sleepers that is both inspiring and heartbreaking.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Behind the Mic is supported by Brilliance Publishing who recently released The Survivalists, a sharp, funny novel by Kashana Cauley. An ambitious Black lawyer has dreams of making partner, until she falls for a coffee entrepreneur…
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Jan 31, 2023
EXILES by Jane Harper, read by Stephen Shanahan
Stephen Shanahn’s easygoing tone and Australian accent welcome listeners to another Aaron Falk mystery from Jane Harper, this time set in South Australia’s wine country. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Falk’s missing-person mystery set in a close-knit community harboring many secrets. It’s a story that seems calm and straightforward on the surface but reveals layers of complexity as you listen. The dialogue and narrative flow naturally, infused with believable emotions that underscore Shanahan’s grasp of the author’s style.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 30, 2023
PLAYING UNDER THE PIANO by Hugh Bonneville, read by Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville’s memoir is funny, personal, informative, insightful, and fun to listen to. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how the world-class actor tells a marvelous story, making this an excellent listen for any lovers of celebrity memoirs — and the theater. Bonneville is known for his role as the Earl of Grantham on “Downton Abbey” and the stern father on “Paddington” but also has spent many years on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He narrates his memoir with an easy style and modulated tone and is an excellent mimic. This well-written memoir is delivered with the timing, pace, and skill of a seasoned raconteur.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over…
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Jan 27, 2023
DYING OF POLITENESS by Geena Davis, read by Geena Davis
Actor Geena Davis narrates her hilarious memoir about growing up a polite young lady who eventually challenged the entertainment industry. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how the story traces her awkward upbringing to model to movie star, illuminating more about her relationships and influences. An icon of feminist films, Davis retraces her steps in finding her voice. Fans of her acting will find much to admire in these self-revelatory chapters.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 26, 2023
SHE MEMES WELL by Quinta Brunson, read by Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson is a comic and successful television writer who brings all of her talents to her hilarious memoir, stuffed full of anecdotes about her unconventional career path. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Brunson’s essays that recount her childhood, her previous jobs, and her success creating the hit TV series “Abbott Elementary.” Brunson is generous with personal insights and maintains high energy throughout her performance, making for a fun and lively listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 25, 2023
SURRENDER by Bono, read by Bono
U2 frontman and activist Bono sings like an Irish tenor but performs his memoir with a resonant baritone that sounds clear and effortless. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how Bono does an excellent job presenting his own words, and the singing, music, and sound effects combine for a real listening experience. Fans will undoubtedly want to hear this audio version of Bono’s story to hear his distinct sound, his accent, and his singing.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 24, 2023
SPARE by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, read by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Stifled by protocol his entire life, Prince Harry has a lot to say as he addresses rumors and lies in his memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how Harry and his wife Meghan have captured the interest of the world from their wedding to high-profile interviews, a Netflix documentary, and now this much anticipated autobiography by the prince himself. Prince Harry’s voice is clear and steady for much of the audiobook, and his grief over the death of his mother is evident. He takes listeners on a fascinating journey that doesn’t disappoint.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 23, 2023
A HEART THAT WORKS by Rob Delaney, read by Rob Delaney
Actor, comedian, and writer Rob Delaney narrates the ineffably sad events surrounding the brief life and death of his third son, Henry. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a memorable audiobook that makes you feel for the actor and his family. Delaney’s subdued voice and resolute cadence provide the perfect vehicle for the crushing sorrow and towering anger he experienced at having his son’s life cut short by brain cancer. He weaves in the lives of his wife, two older sons, and extended family, describing the ways they all were, and still are, affected by Henry’s illness and death.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by OrangeSky Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 20, 2023
EMPATHY ECONOMICS by Owen Ullmann, read by Christine Padovan
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss an audiobook centered around Treasury Secretary and former Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s essential empathy. Christine Padovan narrates this biography of a woman who has reached the highest levels of public service with a subtle, thoughtful voice and slight New York accent. Owen Ullmann writes of Yellen’s life of exceptional achievement, her economic acumen, and her people skills. All are fully displayed in this laudatory biography.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 19, 2023
THE ABYSS by Max Hastings, read by John Hopkins, Max Hastings
John Hopkins’s rich, dramatic voice suits Max Hastings’s account of the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world was on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Hopkins narrates this dramatic and crucial moment in history, now more than 60 years ago. Here is an audiobook for those who relish detailed and dramatic history, those who want to know how we got to where we are today with the Russians, or those who simply appreciate cliff-hanger situations narrated with exceptional skill.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 18, 2023
BEAVERLAND by Leila Philip, read by Christine Lakin
Christine Lakin’s enthusiasm and authenticity lure the listener into Leila Philip’s world of beavers. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this homage to the ingenuity and group intelligence of these remarkable dam builders and water capturers. Philip casts a wide net as she delves into the cultural significance of beavers to some North American tribes, stresses how vitally important beaver dams are to clean water, and accompanies trappers, goes to fur auctions, and skins a pelt herself. Lakin captures the respect and empathy Philip has for trappers, traders, and environmentalists alike, and portrays the lighter moments as well.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
Learn more a…
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Jan 17, 2023
THE PERSUADERS by Anand Giridharadas, read by Anand Giridharadas
Anand Giridharadas narrates his work in a serious tone and journalistic style. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss an audiobook that tells stories of how committed activists use persuasion in organizing to attract supporters. He reads with a storyteller’s sense as he introduces the Internet Research Agency—a Russian troll farm that won both liberal and conservative Americans’ hearts and minds online. He also delves into deep canvassing, a process that encourages like-mindedness as a basis for connection and political action.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 16, 2023
THE ESSENTIAL DICK GREGORY by Dick Gregory, Christian Gregory [Ed.], read by Joe Morton, Christian Gregory, Andre Gaines, Afrika K. Kenjyatta
A marvelous narration brings the comedian, activist, vegetarian, and civil rights leader Dick Gregory vividly to life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Joe Morton’s narration is a marvel of emulation, impersonation, and soulful rejuvenation of Gregory. Along with having mastered Gregory’s unique style, he captures his humility, candor, and sense of fun. Famous at an early age, Gregory was a bestselling author, a nightclub comic, and a progressive who went on hunger strikes to protest a number of issues, including the Vietnam War. This splendid collection merits a wide audience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…
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Jan 13, 2023
DISABILITY PRIDE by Ben Mattlin, read by Anthony Michael Lopez
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss a detailed examination of disability rights in America since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990. Ben Mattlin’s work details the history of the disability rights movement and how it has progressed, and Anthony Michael Lopez narrates with a vibrant performance. Each chapter captures the listener’s attention and clearly lays out the information. Lopez skillfully differentiates between general text, excerpts from documents, and quotes, helping listeners easily follow along.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Beacon Press.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's The MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 12, 2023
GHOST MUSIC by An Yu, read by Vera Chok
Vera Chok narrates An Yu’s eerie novel full of dreams of talking mushrooms and heartbroken musicians. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss the story of Song Yan, who lives with her husband and mother-in-law in a Beijing apartment. Everyone tells her she should be happy, but she exists in a fog of loneliness. The mystery of the novel begins when a package of unusual mushrooms arrives at her home. Now Song must find out who sent them—which leads to the discovery of the home of a famous musician who went missing many years ago. Chok’s performance skillfully evokes the rising gloom and desperation that Song experiences throughout the story.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over…
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Jan 11, 2023
ROSES, IN THE MOUTH OF A LION by Bushra Rehman, read by Bushra Rehman
Bushra Rehman performs her novel of a queer Pakistani American girl coming of age and deciding what she wants to do with her life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this novel, a working class story of growing up as a girl in Queens. Razia Mirza is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, and while her parents are very traditional, Razia begins to want something different from their expectations of marriage and children. Author Rehman brings complexity to her performance, and as Razia begins rebelling in small ways, Rehman adds a layer of emotional intimacy.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 10, 2023
Brad Meltzer and Scott Brick in Conversation
Host Jo Reed spoke with author Brad Meltzer and Golden Voice narrator Scott Brick about their longtime collaboration, and about Meltzer’s new nonfiction audiobook, THE NAZI CONSPIRACY, out today. Both truly appreciate the other’s work—listen to their conversation about their many years of working together on audiobooks, the research that goes into the writing and narration of Meltzer’s works, and the differences between narrating action-packed thrillers and history audiobooks that uncover shocking stories for listeners.
Read our review of THE NAZI CONSPIRACY on our website, where you can also discover many more audiobook reviews of Brad Meltzer’s and Scott Brick’s collaborations over the years.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 10, 2023
THEY'RE GOING TO LOVE YOU by Meg Howrey, read by Meg Howrey
Meg Howrey performs her latest novel, a captivating story set against the backdrop of 1980s and ’90s Manhattan. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss the intense atmosphere that Howrey creates. Carlisle grew up with her mother in the midwest, spending summers with her father, Robert, and his partner, James. As an adult, Carlisle is now estranged from her father and losing herself in her work as a choreographer. Howrey’s narration creates an emotionally intimate listening experience as Carlisle receives a call from James that her father is on his deathbed. Listeners will hang on every word, enraptured until the very last sentence.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world…
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Jan 9, 2023
MY DARKEST PRAYER by S.A. Cosby, read by Adam Lazarre-White, S.A. Cosby [Intro.]
Adam Lazarre-White performs S.A. Cosby’s reissued debut novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss this story of Nathan Waymaker, a former law enforcement officer now working at his cousin’s funeral home. When a local pastor dies under mysterious circumstances, Waymaker is approached to look into the pastor’s death. Lazarre-White’s subtle performance is a master class in narrating an audiobook from a single viewpoint.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Jan 6, 2023
HOW TO KEEP HOUSE WHILE DROWNING by KC Davis, read by KC Davis, Raquel Martin
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss an audiobook that can be a gentle, compassionate guide for the year ahead. HOW TO KEEP HOUSE WHILE DROWNING is KC Davis’s welcoming, affirming audiobook about taking care of your house and yourself when the world is overwhelming. Her voice is warm and understanding; whether listeners are struggling with depression or the ongoing pandemic, have young kids at home, or are otherwise stuck, Davis offers support and helpful guidance with everything from laundry to dishes to making a to-do list that won’t intimidate you. Look ahead to the new year with this audiobook in your back pocket as a supportive guide.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the worl…
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Jan 5, 2023
SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON by Esme Symes-Smith, read by Dani Martineck, Esme Symes-Smith
Listeners will love adventuring with Callie, a nonbinary twelve-year-old determined to become a knight. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Esme Symes-Smith’s audiobook narrated by Dani Martineck with emotion and great energy. Callie lives in a realm with very strict boundaries between genders—only girls study magic, and boys stick to swordplay. Callie forges their own path ahead, with a pinch of magic and a great deal of determination—but a lot stands in their way. Martineck shines in their portrayal of this confident character in the confines of a disapproving world. Young listeners will love hearing this fantasy story where Callie and their new friends triumph, helping make the path ahead better for all.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO,…
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Jan 4, 2023
ASTRID PARKER DOESN'T FAIL by Ashley Herring Blake, read by Kristen DiMercurio
Kristen DiMercurio’s warm, expressive voice invites listeners back to Bright Falls as interior designer Astrid Parker and carpenter Jordan Everwood prepare for a televised renovation of the Everwood Inn. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this excellent follow-up to Ashley Herring Blake’s DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE, which earned a spot on AudioFile’s Best Romance list for 2022. After a disastrous first encounter, Jordan and Astrid bristle at working together. DiMercurio teases out all the delightful tension between Astrid’s polished veneer and Jordan’s down-to-earthiness as they wind up concealing their burgeoning romance.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
Learn mo…
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Jan 3, 2023
BLOODMARKED by Tracy Deonn, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Joniece Abbott-Pratt brings boundless energy to her narration of Tracy Deonn’s action-packed YA fantasy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this compelling sequel to LEGENDBORN, a contemporary fantasy series that draws on the legends of King Arthur. Bree Matthews has unlocked new powers in herself and now must learn to control them to reunite and protect her court and her friends. The story makes lightning-quick shifts into intense battles, and Abbott-Pratt keeps listeners on the edge of their seats with her incredible pacing and skilled dialogue. The story expands Bree’s world, introducing listeners to new characters and going deeper into a captivating world of ancestral magic, ancient powers, and fierce demons.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUN…
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Jan 2, 2023
THE WORLD WE MAKE by N.K. Jemisin, read by Robin Miles
Robin Miles returns to narrate Book 2 in N.K. Jemisin’s Great Cities series, and she gives listeners a masterful performance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this multidimensional battle between good and evil, continuing the story from THE CITY WE BECAME. The avatars of New York City and its boroughs are fighting for their right to exist—and for the fate of their multiverse. Miles transforms into the essence of each of the boroughs and the city itself, making each one vibrant and distinctive. Smart use of technical effects makes the invading city of R’lyeh sound alien and unnatural. A listen that will linger in your mind.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Rob White's THE MAESTRO MONOLOGUE from PUNCH AUDIO, creators of first-class audiobooks for independent authors the world over.
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Dec 30, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: Talking with Dirk Maggs
We’re closing out this week of AudioFile Favorite interviews by featuring host Jo Reed’s conversation with the producer, director, and writer Dirk Maggs. If you love audio theater, then you know his work — his productions immerse listeners in the worlds that he creates. In a career spanning 30 years, he’s won many national and international awards. He first made a name for himself turning DC comics into audio productions, and he’s a longtime collaborator with Neil Gaiman. Most recently that has resulted in three incredible audio adaptations of THE SANDMAN, Gaiman’s beloved classic comic book series.
Read our reviews of Dirk Maggs’s audiobooks on our website.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Will Seeking Justice Lead to Her Own Demise? Today's episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Oasis Audio, publisher of BENEATH HIS SILENCE, a gothic-style regency romance from promising young author, Hannah Linder. Narrated by Anne Flosnik. Available…
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Dec 29, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: Talking with Adjoa Andoh
AudioFile’s revisiting favorite interviews from Behind the Mic, and today we’re featuring a conversation with Golden Voice narrator and actor Adjoa Andoh. Listen to host Jo Reed and Adjoa as they discuss her career in acting and audiobooks, the power of acting, and the incredible success of “Bridgerton,” the Netflix series in which she plays scene-stealer Lady Danbury. Adjoa Andoh is a well-loved British actor of stage, screen, and radio, and she has brought hundreds of audiobooks to life for listeners over the years, many Earphones award-winners. She’s been recognized on AudioFile’s annual Best Audiobooks lists for her narrations across a range of genres, from historical fiction to fantastical sci-fi to lively contemporary romances.
Read our reviews of Adjoa Andoh’s audiobooks on our website.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act…
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Dec 28, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: Talking with LeVar Burton
AudioFile is revisiting favorite interviews all this week, and we had to highlight one from way back in the beginning of Behind the Mic: Jo Reed’s interview with LeVar Burton. We all know LeVar from “Roots,” as the beloved host of “Reading Rainbow,” and the host of his podcast “LeVar Burton Reads,” and more iconic roles. Here, LeVar and Jo discuss his friend and mentor, Fred Rogers, and how he jumped at the opportunity to narrate THE GOOD NEIGHBOR, a close look at the host of the PBS television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Listen as LeVar discusses getting to know Fred Rogers, their shared vision for creating engaging and meaningful programming for children, and how his acting career launched by his role on “Roots.” He also tells listeners about how he came to focus on reading aloud to children, and why he continues to believe in the power of the spoken word and storytelling.
Read our reviews of LeVar Burton’s audiobooks on our website.
Find more audi…
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Dec 27, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: Talking with Jason Reynolds
We’re revisiting favorite interviews this week, and today’s is a moving conversation with the always inspiring author Jason Reynolds. Host Jo Reed and Jason Reynolds talk about STAMPED, his young readers’ remix of Ibram X. Kendi’s STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, and they also talk about the importance of writing for younger readers, the power of audiobook listening, and meeting kids where they are. Jason is now stepping down from his role as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and this interview gives you a chance to hear from Jason about the role at the very beginning of his term.
Find interviews of Jason Reynolds’s moving and Earphones Award-winning audiobooks on our website.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Will Seeking Justice Lead to Her Own Demise? Today's episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Oasis Audio, publisher of BENEATH HIS SILENCE, a gothic-style regency romance from promising young author, Hannah Linder. Nar…
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Dec 26, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: Talking with Robert Bathurst
AudioFile is revisiting some of our favorite long-form interviews this week. Here, host Jo Reed interviews Robert Bathurst, the actor and narrator who brings Louise Penny’s beloved Chief Inspector Gamache to life on audio. Robert has won AudioFile Earphones Awards and Audie Awards for his work on the Three Pines series. Listen to hear more about the long-running series, his journey to narrating audiobooks, and more.
Read our reviews of Robert Bathurst’s audiobooks on our website.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion by Joshua S. Porter. Available everywhere.
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Dec 23, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY
AudioFile’s revisiting favorite episodes of Behind the Mic this week, with great last-minute audiobook gifts in mind. Today’s recommendation is for a captivating fantasy audiobook for kids, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia, read by Amir Abudllah. Hear host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly as they talk about this thrilling listen for kids and families. The best part — this is book one in a three-part series, so there’s more excellent storytelling adventures to look forward to!
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Will Seeking Justice Lead to Her Own Demise? Today's episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Oasis Audio, publisher of BENEATH HIS SILENCE, a gothic-style regency romance from promising young author, Hannah Linder. Narrated by Anne Flosnik. Available everywhere.
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Dec 22, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: SUCH A FUN AGE
This week on the podcast we’re revisiting favorite audiobooks from our years on Behind the Mic. Today’s discussion is about Kiley Reid’s SUCH A FUN AGE, an Earphones and Audie Award winner read by Nicole Lewis. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the memorable debut novel on race, privilege, and money and the lively narration that will keep anyone glued to their earbuds. An excellent gift for fans of fiction audiobooks.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion by Joshua S. Porter. Available everywhere.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 21, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: ZABAR’S
AudioFile is revisiting some favorite audiobooks this week, with your holiday gift lists in mind. Today’s audiobook discussion has AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff and host Jo Reed talking all about babkas, bagels, and more culinary delights from the iconic New York deli, Zabar’s. Erin Bennett narrates this family memoir that’s also a slice of New York City history, bringing the right blend of appreciation and conviction to her narration. The perfect gift — perhaps with babka or rugelach in hand.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for Behind the Mic comes from Oasis Audio, featuring the finest in specially curated novels including THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, Victor Hugo’s 1869 biting arraignment of the aristocracy for their vices, crimes, and selfishness. Lavishly narrated by Simon Vance. Available everywhere.
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Dec 20, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: AN IMMENSE WORLD
We’re revisiting some of our favorite episodes this week on the podcast, with holiday gift giving in mind. Today’s discussion has host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talking about the perfect gift for any animal lover, natural history nerd, or budding scientist in your life. Ed Yong’s narration of his AN IMMENSE WORLD is full of charm and enthusiasm, and the audiobook is packed with facts that will broaden your view of the world around you.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Will Seeking Justice Lead to Her Own Demise? Today's episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Oasis Audio, publisher of BENEATH HIS SILENCE, a gothic-style regency romance from promising young author, Hannah Linder. Narrated by Anne Flosnik. Available everywhere.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 19, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
AudioFile is revisiting some of our favorite episodes this week, this time with holiday gift giving in mind. Listen to hear host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, Rinker Buck’s tale of an unusual journey narrated by Jason Culp. It makes for an ideal gift for a history lover in your life, as Buck recounts his 2016 journey down the Monongahela, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers in a flatboat.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion by Joshua S. Porter. Available everywhere.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 16, 2022
MARIE KONDO'S KURASHI AT HOME by Marie Kondo, read by Traci Kato-Kiriyama
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the new audiobook from Marie Kondo centered around “kurashi,” or “way of life.” There’s a quiet enthusiasm in Traci Kato-Kiriyama’s narration that elicits calm and inspiration—emotions that are fitting for kurashi at home. Both the author and narrator make it sound easy to tap into our ideal vision for our life and space and to incorporate the habits that will allow us to live with simplicity and joy. A great last-minute gift idea for a listener who wants to start the new year with a fresh perspective.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for Behind the Mic comes from Oasis Audio, featuring the finest in specially curated novels including THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, Victor Hugo’s 1869 biting arraignment of the aristocracy for their vices, crimes, and selfishness. Lavishly narrated by Simon Vance. Av…
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Dec 15, 2022
MAGNOLIA FLOWER by Zora Neale Hurston, Ibram X. Kendi [Adapt.], read by Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) displays her magical acting talents throughout her bold narration of this adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s short story, “Magnolia Flower,” for young listeners. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Ralph’s resonant, full voice. Ralph delights listeners as she breathes additional life into this story of love and freedom. The wise river tells the young, babbling brook about Bentley, an enslaved man who escaped to freedom and built a community of other freed people.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com https://audiofilemagazine.com/
Support for Behind the Mic comes from Oasis Audio, featuring the finest in specially curated novels including THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, Victor Hugo’s 1869 biting arraignment of the aristocracy for their vices, crimes, and selfishness. Lavishly narrated by Simon Vance. Available ev…
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Dec 14, 2022
A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES by Louise Penny, read by Robert Bathurst
Robert Bathurst performs this 18th Inspector Gamache mystery with the assurance of one who knows the village of Three Pines and its (mostly) gentle residents well, and fans are in for a treat. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss returning to Three Pines, where, years after Gamache and Beauvoir investigated the murder of a mother, her two adult children arrive in the village. Their surprise arrival triggers remembrances of things past. Bathurst weaves several timelines together seamlessly, revealing crimes against women, child abuse, revenge, and murder.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion by Joshua S. Porter. Available everywhere.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 13, 2022
Interview with Julia Whelan: 2022 Best Romance Audiobooks
Author and Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb to talk all about writing and narrating THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, a romance between two narrators that earned a spot on our list of 2022 Best Audiobooks. Hear about what it was like to narrate her own work and how Julia thought about all of the character voices as she was writing and developing their stories. Listen to discover some of her own experiences with narrating that she brought into the booth and what will stick with her about writing and narrating this romance.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Harper Audio.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Romance Audiobooks:
DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE by Ashley Herring Blake, read by Kristen DiMercurio
HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola, read by Weruche Opia
KAMILA KNOWS BEST by Farah Heron, read by Soneela Nankani
SEATMATE by Cara Bastone, read by Amanda Ronconi, Zachary Webber, Josh Hurley, Carol Monda, Corey Allen, Allyson Joh…
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Dec 12, 2022
Interview with January LaVoy: 2022 Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Audiobooks
Golden Voice narrator January LaVoy joins AudioFile’s Robin Whitten to discuss C.L. Polk’s fantasy EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END. Her captivating talents are on full display as she voices this romantic, fantastical noir mystery that is on AudioFile’s list of 2022 Best Science Fiction & Fantasy audiobooks. Hear from January about how she approached the challenges presented by this audiobook, what she loves about narrating fantasy stories for listeners, and what’s stayed with her about this audiobook.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Recorded Books.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Audiobooks:
THE ATLAS SIX by Olivie Blake, read by Steve West, David Monteith, Damian Lynch, Caitlin Kelly, Andy Ingalls, Munirih Grace, Siho Ellsmore, James Patrick Cronin
A COURT OF MIST AND FURY (1 OF 2) by Sarah J. Maas, read by Melody Muze, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Jon Vertullo, Amanda Forstrom, and a Full Cast
EVEN THOUGH I K…
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Dec 9, 2022
Interview with Brian Nishii: 2022 Best Children & Family Listening
Narrator Brian Nishii joins AudioFile’s Robin Whitten to discuss Genzaburo Yoshino’s HOW DO YOU LIVE?, a Japanese classic from 1937 with a new translation by Bruno Navasky. Named one of AudioFile’s Best Children & Family Listening audiobooks, HOW DO YOU LIVE? remains surprisingly relevant today, intertwining the adventures of a young teenager with philosophical conversations with his beloved uncle. Nishii tells listeners about the challenges of bringing this title to a contemporary audience, his approach to narrating audiobooks for younger listeners, and more.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Recorded Books.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Children’ & Family Listening:
A IS FOR OBOE: THE ORCHESTRA'S ALPHABET by Lera Auerbach, Marilyn Nelson, read by Thomas Quasthoff
A DIFFERENT POND by Bao Phi, read by Bao Phi
EYES THAT SPEAK TO THE STARS by Joanna Ho, read by Justin Chien
HOW DO YOU LIVE? by Genzaburo Yoshino, Bruno Navasky [Trans.], Ne…
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Dec 8, 2022
Interview with Deepti Gupta: 2022 Best Young Adult Audiobooks
Narrator Deepti Gupta joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb to discuss her co-narration of a powerful novel for teens, Sabaa Tahir’s ALL MY RAGE. The National Book Award winner earned a spot on AudioFile’s list of Best Young Adult audiobooks this year for the impact of its performance, narrated in turn by Deepti, Kamran R. Khan, and Kausar Mohammed. Listen to hear how Deepti approached narrating this layered contemporary novel, how the three narrators worked together to tell this story, and what will stick with her about narrating this audiobook.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Listening Library.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Young Adult Audiobooks:
AIN'T BURNED ALL THE BRIGHT by Jason Reynolds, read by Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock, Tatum Marylin Hall, JaQwan J. Kelly, DePre Owens
ALL MY RAGE by Sabaa Tahir, read by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan, Kausar Mohammed
BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN by Natalia Sylvester, read by Frankie Corzo
THE HON…
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Dec 7, 2022
Interview with Soneela Nankani: 2022 Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks
Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb to talk about one of our 2022 Best Mystery Audiobooks—Harini Nagendra’s THE BANGALORE DETECTIVES CLUB. Soneela paints a vibrant listening experience that launches listeners into a new series. Soneela tells listeners how she approached narrating this historical mystery set in 1920s colonial Bangalore, and about the fun and challenges of narrating an audiobook full of characters with many accents.
Read the full review of the audiobook at AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks:
THE BANGALORE DETECTIVES CLUB by Harini Nagendra, read by Soneela Nankani
BIRDS OF PREY by Kelley Armstrong, Ace Atkins, C.J. Box, Allison Brennan, S.A. Cosby, et al., read by Lisa Flanagan, Nicky Endres, Fred Berman, MacLeod Andrews, Justis Bolding, Cary Hite, Helen Laser, Amanda Dolan, Dan Bittner, Julia Motyka, Eunice Wong
THE BULLET THAT MISSED by Richard Osman, read by…
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Dec 6, 2022
Interview with Robin Miles: 2022 Best History & Biography Audiobooks
Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles joins AudioFile’s Robin Whitten to discuss her empathetic and moving narration of Zora Neale Hurston’s YOU DON’T KNOW US NEGROES. Hear about why Robin Miles believes Hurston’s work is still so relevant to listeners today, her approach to narrating Hurston’s audiobooks, and more observations on the rich variety of topics covered in Hurston’s essays.
Read the full review of the audiobook at AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best History & Biography Audiobooks:
AMERICAN MIDNIGHT by Adam Hochschild, read by Jonathan Todd Ross
FRANKLINLAND by Lloyd Suh, read by Gregory Harrison, Larry Powell, Kurt Kanazawa
HIS NAME IS GEORGE FLOYD by Robert Samuels, Toluse Olorunnipa, read by Dion Graham, Robert Samuels, Toluse Olorunnipa [Intro.]
THE REVOLUTIONARY: SAMUEL ADAMS by Stacy Schiff, read by Jason Culp
SUPER-INFINITE by Katherine Rundell, read by Simon Vance
YOU DON'T KNOW US NEGROES by Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Lou…
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Dec 5, 2022
Interview with Lake Bell: 2022 Best Nonfiction & Culture Audiobooks
Actor, author, and film director Lake Bell joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb to learn more about Bell’s intriguing audio-only title, INSIDE VOICE. Listen to hear how Lake developed the idea to explore the power of voice in this audiobook packed full of archival material, recordings of people on the street, and interviews with experts. Hear what surprised her about what she learned about voices, and what she hopes listeners get out of the work.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Pushkin Industries.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Nonfiction & Culture Audiobooks:
BAD CITY by Paul Pringle, read by Robert Petkoff
FEN, BOG & SWAMP by Annie Proulx, read by Gabra Zackman
INSIDE VOICE by Lake Bell, read by Lake Bell et al.
LIFE BETWEEN THE TIDES by Adam Nicolson, read by Leighton Pugh
THE PHILOSOPHY OF MODERN SONG by Bob Dylan, read by Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodar…
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Dec 2, 2022
Interview with Joniece Abbott-Pratt: 2022 Best Fiction Audiobooks
Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt joins AudioFile’s Robin Whitten to tell listeners about narrating NIGHTCRAWLING. Leila Mottley’s powerful debut novel is one of AudioFile’s 2022 Best Fiction Audiobooks for its immersive listening experience crafted beautifully by Joniece. Listen to hear about the emotional intimacy of Joniece’s performance, how she prepared to narrate the moving dialogue, and what’s stayed with her about NIGHTCRAWLING.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Random House Audio.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Fiction Audiobooks:
THE ANGEL OF ROME by Jess Walter, read by Edoardo Ballerini, Julia Whelan
I WALK BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS by T.C. Boyle, read by T.C. Boyle, Cheryl Smith, Jason Culp, Derek Perkins, Jeremy Arthur, Stephen Mendel, Johnathan McClain, Ewan Chung, Pete Simonelli, David de Vries, Nan McNamara, Rex Anderson
JOAN IS OKAY by Weike Wang, read by Catherine Ho
THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O'Farrell, read by Genevie…
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Dec 1, 2022
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Audiobooks!
AudioFile’s Robin Whitten joins host Jo Reed to talk about the 2022 Best Audiobooks — listen to hear about how these audiobooks were chosen out of the thousands reviewed this year, to learn about Robin’s favorites from the list, and to find out about upcoming interviews with narrator’s of some of this year’s honored titles. Jo and Robin also share the list of 2022 Best Memoirs, including some big names in audiobooks this year.
AudioFile’s 2022 Best Memoir Audiobooks:
FINDING ME by Viola Davis, read by Viola Davis
I WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT by Harvey Fierstein, read by Harvey Fierstein
IN LOVE by Amy Bloom, read by Amy Bloom
SOLITO by Javier Zamora, read by Javier Zamora
WAKE by Rebecca Hall, Tyler English-Beckwith, read by DeWanda Wise, Chanté Adams, Jerrie Johnson, Bahni Turpin, and a Full Cast
WOMAN WITHOUT SHAME by Sandra Cisneros, read by Sandra Cisneros
For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: audiofilemagazine.com
Support for Behind the Mic comes from Oasis Aud…
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Nov 30, 2022
HAVE I TOLD YOU THIS ALREADY? by Lauren Graham, read by Lauren Graham
It’s a delight to listen to warm and witty actor Lauren Graham, of “Gilmore Girls” and “Parenthood,” share her insights and reminiscences of her family and professional life in her second memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this collection of essays about little things, told in her natural and engaging voice. Humor infuses the entire audiobook, adding a light counterpoint to Graham’s practical and adaptable nature.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
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Nov 29, 2022
FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING by Matthew Perry, read by Matthew Perry
Narrating his memoir, actor Matthew Perry sounds like his beloved Chandler character, but with far less enunciation. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Perry’s story detailing his lifetime of struggles with addiction, including while playing his iconic role on “Friends.” Listeners can hear how tough life has been on his body, but he comes across as a generous person hoping to share what has plagued him with the intent to help others. Listen for insight into his personal journey.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to The Maze by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
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Nov 28, 2022
THE LIGHT WE CARRY by Michelle Obama, read by Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama performs the follow-up to her bestselling memoir, BECOMING, giving listeners another peek behind the curtain into her life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss getting to hear from Obama as she inspires listeners to become their best selves. Obama tells deeply personal stories to show listeners how she overcame obstacles and gives insights into how she and her family weathered the pandemic. Her voice is warm and inviting as she shares words of encouragement that will help listeners feel hopeful and ready to go out and face our chaotic world. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 25, 2022
NEWSROOM CONFIDENTIAL by Margaret Sullivan, read by Lisa Flanagan, Margaret Sullivan [Intro.]
Lisa Flanagan narrates journalist Margaret Sullivan’s memoir/manifesto authoritatively. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Flanagan’s serious narration that fits the story of a journalist whose career has included running a newsroom, being the public editor at the New York Times, and her recent stint at the Washington Post. Flanagan captures Sullivan’s spirited point of view—she’s enthralled with her calling and appalled at the state of the media. It should be required listening for all who follow the calling of journalism.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to The Maze by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 24, 2022
THE PHILOSOPHY OF MODERN SONG by Bob Dylan, read by Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, Renée Zellweger
Bob Dylan’s momentous work takes listeners deep inside the emotional narratives and cultural ethos behind 60 pop songs from the past seven decades. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss Dylan’s raspy and compelling narration, as well as the all-star cast called upon to voice his essays. Almost as one voice, the narrators create a flow of energy that adds immeasurably to the impact of Dylan’s poetic writing.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 23, 2022
THE SKI JUMPERS by Peter Geye, read by Robert Fass
As Robert Fass narrates this wintry audiobook, he invigorates the characters through intelligent pacing and a fine storyteller’s tone and empathy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Peter Geye’s audiobook that gives the listener the inside scoop on ski jumping, a little known sport, and tells a fascinating family story as well. The most impressive passages capture the exquisite sport of flying over snow, lyrically described by the author, who is a ski jumper himself. Fass creates an immersive listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 22, 2022
40 by Alan Heathcock, read by Julia Atwood
The lovely and engaging voice of Julia Atwood gives protagonist Mazzy Goodwin satisfying emotion. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss Alan Heathcock’s dystopian fantasy of a climate catastrophe. Mazzy is a soldier, and Atwood’s cadence subtly moves the suspenseful action of the story forward. Heathcock depicts an America in crisis—political, environmental, and religious—and Atwood delivers it all compellingly.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to GOING ROGUE by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 21, 2022
THE PASSENGER by Cormac McCarthy, read by MacLeod Andrews, Julia Whelan
AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff tells host Jo Reed about Cormac McCarthy’s newest audiobook, performed superbly by MacLeod Andrews and Julia Whelan. It’s a braided tale of loss, hopeless love, and social collapse. Both narrators plumb the depths of the wounded siblings Bobby and Alicia Western, who are lost souls in this excursion into the dark, soul-depleting demimonde of Cormac McCarthy.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 18, 2022
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON by Ryan Lee Wong, read by Scott Takeda
Scott Takeda gives an engaging performance of Ryan Lee Wong’s thought-provoking debut novel. AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester tells host Jo Reed how Takeda’s performance had her hooked. After a Black man is killed at the hands of an Asian American police officer, 21-year-old Reed decides to drop out of college and devote himself to activism full time. But through a series of conversations, he begins to rethink his future. Takeda takes on this novel of ideas, embodying each character’s unique dialogue.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 17, 2022
THE FURROWS by Namwali Serpell, read by Kristen Ariza, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Dion Graham
Three narrators voice a compelling audiobook on grief and identity by Namwali Serpell. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss a story of a family and their great loss. When Cassandra was twelve and her younger brother Wayne was seven, Wayne was lost, and his body was never recovered. She spends years missing him—and then a man claiming to be him appears. Kristen Ariza performs Cassandra with an ethereal quality, emphasizing the dreamlike storyline that will keep listeners uncertain about what is the truth. Narrator Dion Graham performs from an adult Wayne’s perspective, while Ryan Vincent Anderson performs from a third character’s perspective. The narrators work together to keep listeners on their toes and wondering, what happened to Wayne?
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Nov 16, 2022
THE HAUNTING OF HAJJI HOTAK AND OTHER STORIES by Jamil Jan Kochai, read by Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Fajer Al-Kaisi
Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, and Fajer Al-Kaisi narrate a collection of short stories that examine the impact of America’s war on terror on Afghans and Afghan Americans. Jamil Jan Kochai’s novel is a 2022 National Book Award finalist, and host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss the stories that at times contain elements of the fantastical and the absurd—along with insights into characters impacted by war.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Listen to The Maze by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
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Nov 15, 2022
STAY TRUE by Hua Hsu, read by Hua Hsu
Hua Hsu performs his heartfelt memoir about his friendship with Kevin, a Japanese American man killed in a carjacking while they were in college. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss the incredible prose, and the distance Hsu puts between himself and his own story through his performance. In the rare moments his voice breaks with emotion, we can hear the tender man beneath, grieving for his lost friend.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to The Maze by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today.
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Nov 14, 2022
SHRINES OF GAIETY by Kate Atkinson, read by Jason Watkins
Jason Watkins dazzles listeners with his performance of Kate Atkinson’s newest audiobook set in London during the Roaring Twenties. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss this audiobook that’s perfect for fans of historical fiction. Watkins captures the mood of the novel, creating an atmosphere both humorous and sinister, perfect for the story of the queen of Soho nightlife, Nellie Coker, defending her empire from ruin.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to GOING ROGUE by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
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Nov 11, 2022
THE SANDMAN: ACT III by Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs, read by Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, K.J. Apa, Kat Dennings, Shruti Haasan, David Harewood, Regé-Jean Page, Kristen Schaal, Wil Wheaton, and a Full Cast
Neil Gaiman’s enchanting narration and an incredible cast bring this acclaimed graphic novel series to life for listeners. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about this third SANDMAN installment, written by Gaiman and adapted by audio producer Dirk Maggs. Listeners are plunged into a fully realized world with dynamic sound effects, sweeping music, and impressive performances. James McAvoy returns to flawlessly portray Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams. In one overarching storyline, he and Delirium, wonderfully voiced by Kristen Schaal, search for their elusive brother. Listen and be swept along into the many stories of Dream and the Endless. The many episodes enlighten, amaze, or appall, but will undoubtedly entertain. Listen to Jo Reed’s conversation with Dirk Maggs on an earlier episode of our podcast.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
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Nov 10, 2022
ALIVE AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Saeed Jones, read by Saeed Jones
Saeed Jones, an award-winning poet, writes and speaks unapologetically and with purpose. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss hearing Jones read his poetry in this newest collection. ALIVE AT THE END OF THE WORLD refers to past and present perils that include personal experiences, as well as iconic moments and figures who have shaped popular culture. He delves into grief after the loss of his mother ten years ago, the ongoing trauma of the pandemic and rampant violence, and the fight to experience joy through it all. As a whole, there is an apocalyptic sense that reminds the listener of the title — that he and we are alive and present at the end of the world.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
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Nov 9, 2022
NONA THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir, read by Moira Quirk
Moira Quirk narrates this satisfyingly complex and enjoyably confusing third entry in Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly tries to explain the series to host Jo Reed, and maybe succeeds? In NONA THE NINTH, the world is ending, but all Nona wants to do is have her six-month birthday party with all of her favorite people (and dogs) in attendance. Quirk’s portrayal of Nona is utterly captivating. She woke up six months ago in a body that seems to belong to someone else, but is enthusiastic and delighted by almost everything she encounters. Quirk must use her skills as a narrator to suggest interpretations of events (many fairly disastrous) outside of Nona’s understanding, and her compelling and moving performance will please fans of the series.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
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Nov 8, 2022
EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END by C.L. Polk, read by January LaVoy
Golden Voice narrator January LaVoy’s captivating talents are on full display as she narrates a romantic, fantastical noir mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the joy of hearing January narrate ANY audiobook, especially one as enchanting as C.L. Polk’s newest fantasy. All Helen Brandt wants to do is wrap up an easy magical investigation and go out dancing with her girl in the few days she has left before her soul is claimed by a demon. But the case is more complicated than it seems on the surface, as is everything in this tightly written, beautifully narrated novella. LaVoy embodies each character with ease, including intimidatingly ferocious otherworldly beings. LaVoy will have listeners breathless as Helen fights for a future with her girl.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
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Nov 7, 2022
A RESTLESS TRUTH by Freya Marske, read by Aysha Kala
Narrator Aysha Kala delivers action and romance in this sequel to Freya Marske’s A MARVELLOUS LIGHT. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about this thrilling tale set at sea. Determined and a touch chaotic, 19-year-old Maud Blyth doesn’t have magic, but she’s on a secret magical mission nonetheless. She’s undercover, accompanying the elderly Mrs. Navenby, who is in possession of a secret magical artifact, on a transatlantic crossing to England. When Mrs. Navenby is murdered, Maud must secure allies, find the killer—and figure out what that artifact is, and whether it’s been stolen. Kala ably provides accents for a ship full of characters, from upper to lower decks, and both sides of the Atlantic. Maud enlists the outrageous and captivating magical concert-hall performer Violet Debenham to help her solve the case. Trust and heat build between the two as danger and magic abound.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmil…
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Nov 4, 2022
LUNGFISH by Meghan Gilliss, read by Devon Sorvari
Devon Sorvari gives a stunning performance of Meghan Gilliss’s timely and powerfully affecting audiobook about a young family in dire circumstances. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a novel told in a poetic style that builds tension around the delicacy of struggling and living on the edge. Tuck; her husband, Paul; and their young daughter, Agnes, squat in her late grandmother’s home on a remote Maine island. Paul is depleting the family’s meager funds, as he’s addicted to an herbal opiate, and the family receives little help. Sorvari wonderfully mines the resilience and bravery of the one-of-a-kind Tuck. This provocative and harrowing audiobook is essential listening.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by HighBridge Audio.
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Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Nov 3, 2022
INSIDE VOICE by Lake Bell, read by Lake Bell et al.
Actor, writer, and film director Lake Bell explores her obsession with voices in this direct-to-audio book. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Bell’s unusual and fascinating audiobook that dives into recognizable voices, along with the interpretation and bias of voices and what they reveal about identity. She considers matters anatomical, social, political, and historical as they relate to people’s voices, includes interviews with experts, and conducts experiments on bias. Without being scholarly, this listening experience offers many revelations and suggests further questions.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Pushkin.
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Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Bric…
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Nov 2, 2022
MAKING A SCENE by Constance Wu, read by Constance Wu
Constance Wu, star of CRAZY RICH ASIANS and “Fresh Off the Boat,” moves listeners with her narration of her raw memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this candid celebrity memoir. Wu tells how she was raised to suppress her emotions and avoid making a scene, and she reflects on various memorable moments in her life and their impact on her as a person. She shares intimate details of her experiences of sexual assault and harassment, and sheds light on her mental health struggles. Poignant and relatable.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Listen to GOING ROGUE by Janet Evanovich, read by Lorelei King today.
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Nov 1, 2022
A GIRLHOOD by Carolyn Hays, read by Erin Bennett
Narrator Erin Bennett confidently delivers this compelling memoir, presented as a mother’s love letter to her teenage transgender daughter. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this story that seamlessly interweaves family experiences with the history and struggles of transgender people. The author, writing under a pseudonym, recounts the upheaval of their life when threatened by their state’s Department of Children and Families, their difficulties finding a welcoming place to live, and parenting challenges that arise. With deliberate pacing and a clear, assertive voice, Bennett captures the author’s fierce love for her daughter and fervent advocacy for the transgender community.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 31, 2022
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC by Kevin Wilson, read by Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Wilson [Note]
Narrator Ginnifer Goodwin expertly matches author Kevin Wilson’s intensity in his singular novel, which delves into the depths of friendship and art. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this audiobook that is perfect for anyone who has felt like an outsider and explored their own creative voice to escape the boredom of small-town life. When Frankie receives a phone call threatening to unravel a decades-old secret, she flashes back to the summer she was a smart, introverted girl of 16. That was when she met Zeke, and together they secretly created a work of art to wake up their Tennessee town. A listen to savor.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 28, 2022
THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O'Farrell, read by Genevieve Gaunt, Maggie O'Farrell [Afterword]
Three talented women—narrator, author, and protagonist—combine forces for this gripping historical novel set in Renaissance Italy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this Earphones Award-winning historical audiobook about Lucrezia de’ Medici of Florence. Lucrezia married Duke Alfonso d’Este of Ferrara in 1559, when she was 15 years old. Genevieve Gaunt’s captivating performance illuminates the suspenseful tale like gold leaf on a beautiful manuscript. Author Maggie O’Farrell, author of the award-winning HAMNET, delivers her afterword explaining her novelistic modifications to the few available historical facts.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 27, 2022
DEATH IN DISGUISE by Caroline Graham, read by John Hopkins
Inspector Barnaby and his team are called out to a cultic commune to determine the cause of a series of brutal murders in this third installment of Midsomer Murders, narrated exquisitely by John Hopkins. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss what it’s like to hear Hopkins voice all of the varied characters in this mystery. Listeners will enjoy this excellent, complex cozy mystery as they discover clues along with DCI Barnaby.
John Hopkins recently joined an AudioFile webinar, where he discussed narrating the Midsomer Murder mysteries and his time on the popular television series.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Bolinda Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and n…
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Oct 26, 2022
THE STOLEN YEAR by Anya Kamenetz, read by Anya Kamenetz
Anya Kamenetz’s narration enlightens nonfiction elements and hard-hitting stories of school closures’s impact on children. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss her reporting on the school closings that started in America at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that she narrates with the directness and intensity of a radio reporter (which she is). For many children, school is a critical social safety net, and Kamenetz shares her perspective on education struggles before, during, and after COVID closures.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit pen…
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Oct 25, 2022
BACK TO THE GARDEN by Laurie R. King, read by Vivienne Leheny
Vivienne Leheny’s steady delivery and warm tone welcome listeners into Laurie R. King’s contemporary mystery set in California. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the fun of listening to another mystery from Laurie R. King. Raquel Laing, who works on cold cases for the police department, investigates a corpse found on the grounds of the Gardener Estate Museum. When the action explodes, Leheny delivers a satisfying burst of frenzy.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening.
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Oct 24, 2022
HELL AND BACK by Craig Johnson, read by George Guidall
Golden Voice narrator George Guidall compellingly narrates Craig Johnson’s latest Longmire mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this long-running series, which Guidall has voiced from the very beginning. Walt Longmire awakens in the street in the middle of a blizzard, remembering nothing of his past. Now he has to piece together who he is, and why he’s in Fort Pratt, Montana, site of an infamous Native residential school that had devastating impacts. Guidall’s grizzled voice fully embodies Longmire’s struggle to make sense of his situation.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks wr…
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Oct 21, 2022
MAPS OF OUR SPECTACULAR BODIES by Maddie Mortimer, read by Tamsin Greig, Lydia Wilson
Lydia Wilson and Tamsin Greig deliver complimentary performances to tell the story of Lia, a British woman whose cancer has just come out of remission. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Maddie Mortimer’s novel, which follows Lia as she faces what could be her final months of life. Wilson captures Lia’s perspective with a reflective performance, while Greig voices Lia’s cancer, perfectly capturing the disease’s wry narrative voice as it remarks on the changes in Lia’s body. Their performances work in harmony, giving listeners an emotionally intimate listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 20, 2022
THE WOMEN COULD FLY by Megan Giddings, read by Angel Pean
Angel Pean delivers a thrilling performance of a story set in a dystopian alternative future. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this suspenseful story, where unmarried women must register with the government at age 28 and are assumed to be witches until they marry. Protagonist Jo is faced with even more suspicion as a Black woman, and as her 28th birthday looms, she learns that her mother left her something in her will — but she must travel far to claim it. Pean skillfully captures the suspenseful story and creates the perfect chilling mood.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and…
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Oct 19, 2022
SWEET, SOFT, PLENTY RHYTHM by Laura Warrell, read by Nicole Lewis
Nicole Lewis performs a chorus of voices in this multiperspective story that centers around Circus, a middle-aged jazz musician who has just left his pregnant girlfriend. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Lewis’s skill at creating emotional intimacy for each of the characters. The novel jumps between perspectives, from Circus himself to the many women in his life, including his ex-wife, his daughter, and a seemingly endless string of hookups. With her heartfelt narration, Lewis ensures that listeners will remember these characters long after their story ends.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 18, 2022
YEAR OF THE TIGER by Alice Wong, read by Nancy Wu
Nancy Wu performs this memoir from disability rights activist Alice Wong. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Wu’s narration, which includes descriptions of photos and illustrations, making the audiobook all the more accessible for listeners. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Wong has spent her life advocating for equal access, for herself and for other disabled people. Wong describes life before and after the Americans with Disabilities Act, and how far we still have to go.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudi…
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Oct 17, 2022
PEOPLE PERSON by Candice Carty-Williams, read by Danielle Vitalis
Danielle Vitalis delivers a stunning performance in this family drama set in London that will have listeners hanging on every word. AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester tells host Jo Reed about Vitalis’s excellent performance of Candice Carty-Williams’s sophomore novel. Cyril Pennington’s five children barely know each other, but when Dimple seems to have accidentally killed her boyfriend in self defense, all four of her half siblings show up to help. With such an excellent, incredibly funny story and a stellar performance from Vitalis, this audiobook is a definite must-listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fifth season of Audiobook Break, featuring Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, read by Gildart Jackson.
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Oct 14, 2022
A PLACE IN THE WORLD by Frances Mayes, read by Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell’s melodious tone and deliberately paced delivery seem created for the figurative language and poetic lilt of this audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff talk about catching up with Frances Mayes, who first delighted readers with her tales of making a home in Italy in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. Mayes’s memories range from her southern roots to her passion for restoration, and an appreciation of her Italian hill town where her now-famed villa sits. Campbell’s eloquent intonation suits Mayes’s musings on place, home, and family.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks writte…
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Oct 13, 2022
OUT OF EGYPT by André Aciman, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini immerses listeners in a lost world with André Aciman’s 1996 memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Ballerini brings this memoir of Aciman’s boyhood to life. The author longs for his home in cosmopolitan Alexandria, Egypt, and Ballerini masterfully portrays the characters, especially his quirky grandmothers, and ensures the other members of his lively Sephardic Jewish family come through vividly. A classic story of a family who lost everything in the fraught years after 1956, when President Nasser expelled English and French nationals and Jews from their homes in Egypt.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
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Oct 12, 2022
I WALK BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS by T.C. Boyle, read by T.C. Boyle, Cheryl Smith, Jason Culp, Derek Perkins, Jeremy Arthur, Stephen Mendel, Johnathan McClain, Ewan Chung, Pete Simonelli, David de Vries, Nan McNamara, Rex Anderson
This audiobook read by the author and eleven other narrators offer a cornucopia of T.C. Boyle’s vivid imaginings. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the stories in the collection, including dark fantasies and a haunting story of a couple quarantining on a luxury cruise ship in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boyle’s poignant stories and the skilled narrations create a satisfying listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening.
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Oct 11, 2022
YESTERDAY'S SPY by Tom Bradby, read by George Weightman
British actor and narrator George Weightman gives Tom Bradby’s tale of espionage the gravitas and polish it deserves. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the thriller set in 1953 Iran, poised on the CIA backed overthrow of Mossadegh by the Shah’s henchmen, with flashbacks to pre-WWII Germany and post-war England and Yugoslavia. Harry Tower, the anti-hero of the novel, has to travel to Tehran to search for his journalist son, who has gone missing.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listen…
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Oct 10, 2022
FEN, BOG & SWAMP by Annie Proulx, read by Gabra Zackman
Gabra Zackman’s intelligent performance of Annie Proulx’s eloquent nonfiction audiobook encourages listeners to absorb its powerful message. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this audiobook that blends memoir, speculation, and a warning about impacts on the environment. Listeners learn much from Proulx’s longtime focus on the wetter world. Her prose sparkles and is enlivened by stories, quotations, and memories, and Zackman narrates with exquisite timing and thoughtful pacing.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomh…
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Oct 7, 2022
WITCHLINGS by Claribel A. Ortega, read by Cyrina Fiallo
Narrator Cyrina Fiallo shines as the voice of the brave little witch Seven Salazar in Claribel A. Ortega’s charming children’s fantasy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about this adventurous series opener full of bravery and magic for kids. Turning 12 makes Seven Salazar eligible to join a coven during her town’s Black Moon Ceremony, but she’s shocked when she isn’t sorted into one of the five covens. To keep their magic, Seven and her fellow Spares, Thorn and Valley, must perform an impossible task and defeat the deadly Nightbeast—but if they fail, they will be turned into toads forever. Young listeners will be thrilled to explore this new magical world full of witches, toad racing, cucos, and wild adventures.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Scholastic Audiobooks.
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Oct 6, 2022
HIGH TIMES IN THE LOW PARLIAMENT by Kelly Robson, read by Amy Scanlon
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Kelly Robson’s fantastical take on Brexit. Narrator Amy Scanlon’s British intonations and wry tone suit the delightfully charming, lazy, and witty scribe Lana Baker, who finds herself stuck among the fairies and monotony of life in the Low Parliament. There she’s made to transcribe endless angry debates that inevitably end up in hung votes—despite the threat of death by fairy-induced flood if members can’t come to agreement. Scanlon’s breathy delivery adds to Robson’s wonderful world-building in this utterly fun political satire. Scanlon delights listeners as Lana works to save the humans—while also wooing a beautiful Deputy, getting high, and endlessly teasing her cantankerous fairy friend, Bugbite.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
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Oct 5, 2022
THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY by Megan Bannen, read by Michael Gallagher, Rachanee Lumayno
Narrators Michael Gallagher and Rachanee Lumayno bring life to a whimsical fantasy romance between a demigod zombie-hunting marshal and the beautiful undertaker who infuriates him. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss an audiobook full of alarming magic that also makes for excellent cozy listening. Lumayno’s compassionate narration of Mercy helps listeners understand her growing appreciation for her solemn task of preparing the dead and her determination to keep her family business afloat. Gallagher’s steady pace and gravelly voice convey the loneliness of Hart, in the wilderness and on the hunt for dangerous drudges. When Hart and Mercy strike up an anonymous correspondence by magical post, listeners will grin as the characters deliver increasingly heartfelt letters to one another.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
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Oct 4, 2022
MR. PERFECT ON PAPER by Jean Meltzer, read by Dara Rosenberg
Narrator Dara Rosenberg gives a magnificent performance of this hilarious and heartwarming rom-com. Host Jo Reed and and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about Jean Meltzer’s romance set during the whirlwind months from the High Holidays all the way to Hanukkah. Dara Rabinowitz, a 30-something developer of a Jewish matchmaking app, appears on a television show hosted by her favorite anchor, Christopher Steadfast. Dara’s matchmaking grandmother, Bubbe Miriam, joins the show and shares Dara’s tongue-in-cheek list of qualities in her perfect Jewish husband-to-be. Dara reluctantly agrees to be filmed on a series of dates, each more disastrous than the next, while she struggles with anxiety — and her growing feelings for Chris. Rosenberg expresses the wit, charm, and sensibility of every character beautifully.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harlequin Audio.
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Oct 3, 2022
LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer, read by Robert Petkoff
Narrator Robert Petkoff clearly enjoys himself in recounting the insightful and humorous misadventures of hapless gay minor novelist Arthur Less, first encountered in Andrew Sean Greer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, LESS. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about the fun of getting back on the road with Arthur, this time traveling across the United States on a literary tour to earn desperately needed cash. Arthur’s partner, Freddy, tells Arthur’s tale with wry amusement. Petkoff creates a host of vocally distinct characters with accents and personalities as broad as the country. Through his adventures, the listener begins to understand the kindhearted Arthur and his quest for certainty.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
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Sep 30, 2022
THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by Tiffany D. Jackson, read by JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar, Karen Malina White
Versatile narrators convey interwoven characters’ perspectives in Tiffany D. Jackson’s YA retelling of CARRIE, made more horrific by its themes of racism. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this story of a biracial teen, Maddy, who has been forced by her father to hide her identity. Karen Malina White narrates her perspective with full angry verve as she is bullied at school—and her secret psychic powers explode on prom night. Christopher Salazar and Sarah Mollo-Christensen portray two television reporters tracking what happened on prom night, while JD Jackson and Joy Nash convey the conflicting personalities of classmates. Collectively, the narrators ensure the story is clear and captivating.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
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Sep 29, 2022
THE PALLBEARERS CLUB by Paul Tremblay, read by Graham Halstead, Xe Sands, Elizabeth Wiley
Paul Tremblay’s psychological thriller gives its narrators the perfect opportunity to exercise their considerable dramatic skills. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this horror story that opens in 1980s New England. Graham Halstead portrays Art Barbara, founder of the Pallbearers Club, while his sultry friend Mercy is portrayed by Xe Sands. Mercy’s creepy penchant for taking photos of the dead in their caskets foreshadows possible vampirism to come. The narrators create a crescendo of horror, humor, and decadence.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Dramatic, fast-moving and brutal, George Gissing’s highly regarded early novel The Nether World lays bare the realit…
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Sep 28, 2022
BAD CITY by Paul Pringle, read by Robert Petkoff
Robert Petkoff is especially effective narrating Paul Pringle’s scathing takedown of the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this investigation into the overdose death of Sarah Warren, who was entangled with the Dean of the Keck School of Medicine, Carmen Puliafito. His own editors at the Times didn’t want him to run afoul of the University, and with Petkoff at the helm this no-holds-barred account makes for dramatic listening.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Lucy Scott narrates Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim. Lucy Entwhistle and Everard Wemyss, both recovering from recent unhappiness, meet and quickly f…
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Sep 27, 2022
I'M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy, read by Jennette McCurdy
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Jeannette McCurdy’s best-selling new memoir about her childhood acting and her abusive mother. McCurdy uses a dynamic voice for her mother’s parts and a flat one for much of her own dialogue. Known for her slapstick comedy on Nickelodeon, McCurdy shares her dark adolescence out of the limelight. Years after her mother’s death, she is now coming to terms with the abuse she endured.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schutser Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Russell Bentley and Ben Onwukwe read The Letters of Pliny the Younger. Written between AD 97 and 112, the extant letters give us a unique insight into Imperial Rome under the early Antonine emperors. Organise…
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Sep 26, 2022
FAIRY TALE by Stephen King, read by Seth Numrich, Stephen King
Seth Numrich’s narration of this latest Stephen King novel is moving and frightening in equal measure. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this fantasy novel involving a portal to a dying world and a mission to save it. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Reade befriends a reclusive curmudgeon, Howard Bowdich, walking his dog and being a good neighbor. When Bowdich dies, Charlie inherits his house and dog—and a cassette tape voiced by King with surprising information for Charlie. Listeners will be drawn into this audiobook by Numrich’s intimate narration, which is like hearing Charlie himself.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Nicholas Boulton brings us The White…
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Sep 23, 2022
SHUTTER by Ramona Emerson, read by Charley Flyte
Oglala Lakota and Mohawk actress Charley Flyte performs this supernatural mystery novel with the perfect balance of intrigue and suspense. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s contributor Kendra Winchester discuss author Ramona Emerson’s debut novel that makes for perfect creepy fall listening. Rita Todacheene is one of the best forensic photographers working for the Albuquerque police department. But she has a secret: She can see ghosts, giving her unique insights into the cases. Flyte perfectly captures Rita’s horror as she is terrorized by ghosts, and her narration creates an emotional intimacy between characters.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. This week is Banned Books Week. Max…
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Sep 22, 2022
GODS OF WANT by K-Ming Chang, read by Catherine Ho, Natalie Naudus, Elaine Wang, Nancy Wu, Annie Q
With its stellar ensemble of narrators, this surreal short story collection creates an immersive listening experience. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s contributor Kendra Winchester discuss K-Ming Chang’s collection of short stories, narrated by Catherine Ho, Natalie Naudus, Elaine Wang, Nancy Wu, and Annie Q. The narrators make each story shine, performing works featuring a chorus of dead cousins, a woman trying to survive a catastrophic flood, and the delight of two girls falling in love. The stories revel in the unexpected, delightfully surprising listeners at every turn. Together, the narrators make the perfect cast for the audiobook.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. This we…
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Sep 21, 2022
NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
From the audiobook’s opening line, Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s narration creates an immersive listening experience. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss this impressive debut novel from Leila Mottley. Abbott-Pratt perfectly embodies the first-person perspective of Kiara, a high school dropout living with her older brother. Their father is dead, and their mother is gone, so they only have each other. With Abbott-Pratt’s empathetic understanding of the characters, she creates one of the most moving and emotionally intimate audiobooks of the year.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. This week is Banned Books Week. Banned for challenging the orthodoxies of…
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Sep 20, 2022
MAN O' WAR by Cory McCarthy, read by E.R. Fightmaster
E.R. Fightmaster’s performance is an example of the unique magic that happens when a great narrator is paired with the perfect book. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Kendra Winchester discuss Cory McCarthy’s young adult novel chronicling a nonbinary athlete’s coming of age. River McIntyre spends every spare moment practicing for the swim team as a means to escape their internal struggle with gender identity — but when they meet and fall in love with another nonbinary teen, they begin to imagine a better future for themself. Fightmaster expertly captures River’s intense internal conflict with their gender and queer identity, voicing the complex emotional depth of River’s experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
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Sep 19, 2022
HAVEN by Emma Donoghue, read by Aidan Kelly
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s new contributor Kendra Winchester discuss a story of survival in 7th-century Ireland by Emma Donoghue. Aidan Kelly’s performance expresses the complex emotional experiences of three monks who are seeking solitude on a deserted island. This historical fiction follows their story as they feel called by God to make a spiritual haven apart from the temptations of the world. Kelly’s rich Irish accent takes listeners to another place and time, and his narration perfectly captures the rising tension. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. This week is Banned Books Week. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s poignant exploration of the true depths of human ambition has…
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Sep 16, 2022
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Daniel Silva, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini returns to perform the 22nd addition to the Gabriel Allon series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Daniel Silva’s newest mystery novel. Former Israeli spymaster Gabriel Allon is now retired in Venice, but when his friend needs his help, his newest escapade begins. Ballerini demonstrates his skill with multiple accents and languages, including Italian, and draws listeners into a globe-trotting tale of art forgery.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Between 1821 and 1826, the prolific writer and journalist William Cobbett travelled the countryside of the South of England on foot and horseback. Rural Rides is a fascinating account of his jou…
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Sep 15, 2022
BAD ACTORS by Mick Herron, read by Gerard Doyle
Gerard Doyle narrates this latest installment in the Slough House series as the group of screw-up spies attempt to prevent a scandal. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Doyle’s narration of this 8th installment in Herron’s series. The disappearance of a think-tank specialist has MI5 racing to find her. Doyle’s narration matches Herron’s satirical spy thriller with aplomb. Ideal for fans and newcomers alike—and those who enjoy the Slow Horses television series. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Georgina Sutton gives a vivid and captivating reading of Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu. The sinister Madame de Rougierre is employed as governess to the young Maud…
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Sep 14, 2022
LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Rinker Buck, read by Jason Culp
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the fun of listening to Jason Culp narrating this tale of an unusual journey. Flatboats were once the most common craft on America’s rivers, but when Rinker Buck took his down the Monongahela, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans in 2016—as he recounts in this audiobook—it was an object of considerable curiosity. Culp narrates smoothly as Buck follows the boat downriver, and capably narrates the author’s meditations on history, navigation, and human nature.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Dating from the third century AD, Artemidorus’ The Interpretation of Dreams is the only dream-book from Graeco-Roman antiqui…
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Sep 13, 2022
THE RISING TIDE by Ann Cleeves, read by Janine Birkett
Janine Birkett’s captivating narration does justice to Ann Cleeves’s masterful storytelling in this latest installment of her Vera Stanhope mystery series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the surprises to be found in this series, much loved by readers and television viewers alike. Detective Inspector Stanhope and her team arrive at Northumberland’s Holy Island in response to an apparent suicide. When the death proves to be a murder, Vera must unravel the stories of the victim’s friends, who are all hiding secrets and sins from the past.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. The much-loved Bill Homewood brings us The Song of Roland, a magnificent tale of fait…
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Sep 12, 2022
PROPERTIES OF THIRST by Marianne Wiggins, read by Stephen Graybill, Gabra Zackman
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this engrossing and majestic historical fiction audiobook set in California during WWII, when Japanese Americans were forcefully interred by the U.S. Government. It is an ambitious saga of family, romance, and grief poignantly narrated by Gabra Zackman and Stephen Graybill. It is a story of drought and water rights, a love story that revolves around food, and an examination of the devastating impact of the building of the Manzanar internment camp.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Listen to AudioFile’s fourth season of Audiobook Break, featuring the Japanese American Civil Liberties Collection.
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Stendhal’s The Charterhouse of Parma is a twisting tale of passion and intrigue following the adventures of Fabrizio del Dongo, a young Italian noble…
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Sep 9, 2022
AudioFile favorites: THE MAID by Nita Prose, read by Lauren Ambrose
This week we’re reairing episodes featuring some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve covered on Behind the Mic. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Nita Prose’s zinger of a mystery with many possible suspects. Narrator Lauren Ambrose performs this creatively crafted mystery featuring Molly, a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel who discovers the body of a regular guest in his suite. Lauren Ambrose is exceptional at capturing this propulsive story, giving listeners a sense of all the details as well as the emotional cues that Molly doesn’t necessarily pick up on. All the clues in this murder point toward Molly — can she save herself by solving the case?
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Appearing in 1852, Basil was Wilkie Collins’s second published novel. Anticipating Collin…
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Sep 8, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: WILD SWAN by Patti Callahan, read by Cynthia Erivo
This week we’re reairing episodes featuring some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve covered on Behind the Mic. Hear host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Cynthia Erivo’s spectacular narration that gets the emotional tone of this story exactly right. She is nothing short of amazing as she narrates Patti Callahan’s historical novella about Florence Nightingale. Callahan examines a few years of the famous nurse’s life as she struggled with shedding Victorian expectations and fulfilling her calling to reform health care. The storytelling makes every detail and emotional point shine. Whether it’s the color of a dress or the disapproval from a royal minister, Erivo connects listeners to each scene. An exceptional listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Andrew Wincott…
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Sep 7, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: STUNTBOY, IN THE MEANTIME by Jason Reynolds, read by Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock, Angel Pean, and a full cast
This week we’re reairing episodes featuring some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve covered on Behind the Mic. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this audiobook from Jason Reynolds, whose funny, smart, and empathetic writing meets kids where they are. With endless energy, verve, and style, Guy Lockard is a total superstar narrating this middle-grade novel about Portico Reeves, aka Stuntboy, supported by a full cast and a dynamic production. Portico, voiced by Nile Bullock, loves living in his apartment building, but every time he catches his parents arguing, he feels “the frets.” So, he and his best friend Zola, voiced by Angel Pean, come up with his superhero alter ego who can help save his parents AND defeat their bully neighbor. A unique audio experience that made AudioFile’s list of 2021 Best Audiobooks!
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemaga…
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Sep 6, 2022
AudioFile Favorites: THE CANDY HOUSE by Jennifer Egan, read by a Full Cast
This week we’re reairing episodes featuring some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve covered on Behind the Mic. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss this unusual and absorbing audiobook full of interwoven stories from Jennifer Egan. Each performance is exceptional. Michael Boatman narrates the opening chapter, capturing the interior life of the enigmatic Bix Boughton, who invents a world-altering technology central to the plot. The time-traveling chapters reprise some of the characters from Egan’s award-winning A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD, but this novel has a wider timeframe, a greater trajectory, and a more complex plot.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Read by Andrew Wincott, Flaubert’s Three Tales is a collection of three compelling short stories about faith…
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Sep 5, 2022
AudioFile favorites: LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam, read by Marin Ireland
This week we’re reairing episodes featuring some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve covered on Behind the Mic. AudioFile’s Michele Cobb tells host Jo Reed about the National Book Award finalist performed by one of her favorite narrators. Marin Ireland narrates Rumaan Alam’s stunning audiobook that explores race, class, family, and global catastrophe. A married couple and their children head to Long Island for a family vacation. However, the owners of their rental house arrive unexpectedly after fleeing a blackout, and the two families—one white and middle class, the other Black and wealthy—cohabitate and try to figure out what’s happened. Whether Ireland is focused on the character dynamics or omnisciently describing the terrifying events of the world at large, she delivers an unforgettable powerhouse of a performance.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
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Sep 2, 2022
TO FALL IN LOVE, DRINK THIS by Alice Feiring, read by Gabra Zackman
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how narrator Gabra Zackman has the rare ability to get inside the soul of her authors. She narrates Alice Feiring’s memoir with an understanding of its combination of confessional dips into the past and its compelling journeys into the wine world. The merging of the elaborately talented narrator with the irreverent but essential wine writer creates a remarkable listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Laurel Lefkow narrates The Custom of the Country, Edith Wharton’s dazzling novel about a determined social climber. Wharton contrasts the pecuniary motivation of the nouveau riche in America with European ideals of tradition, and through her array of characters and subtle insights into society, she delivers a novel every bit…
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Sep 1, 2022
THIS AMERICA OF OURS by Nate Schweber, read by Fred Sanders
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Fred Sanders’s narration of the under appreciated history of Bernard and Avis DeVoto. He delivers the story crisply and thoughtfully, and his clear tone and eloquent delivery give the audiobook authority. Author Schweber unearths the story of the courageous journalist/historian who fought for Western lands and freedom of speech. He adds the companion biographical history of DeVoto’s talented wife Avis, an editor. Together they fought the land grab of 200 million acres led by NV Senator Leo McCarran, and when Bernard worked to defeat the Echo Park Dam in Colorado, he ran afoul of Senator Joe McCarthy, who attacked him mercilessly. Both DeVotos left an indelible mark on our history.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Mariner Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Naxos AudioBooks. Published in 1867, Thérèse Raq…
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Aug 31, 2022
THE LAST WHITE MAN by Mohsin Hamid, read by Mohsin Hamid
Author Mohsin Hamid’s voice is pleasing and clear as he narrates this novel that functions both as a reflection and as a warning. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this Kafkaesque story. The plot is straightforward: A white man named Anders wakes one morning with brown skin. Hamid’s uninflected voice lets the story unfold without melodrama. When Anders’s transformation is repeated by more and more people, they become unrecognized objects of prejudice. This allegorical fiction is invigorated by Anders’s close relationship with his lover Ooma and their families.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from BOLINDA. A world-leading audiobook and technology company, Bolinda publishes the greatest books you’ll ever hear and inspire people to live their best lives through the power of storytelling.
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Aug 30, 2022
BITTER ORANGE TREE by Jokha Alharthi, Marilyn Booth [Trans.], read by Raghad Chaar
Narrator Raghad Chaar’s performance of this audiobook is mesmerizing. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the music in Chaar’s voice as she narrates Jokha Alharthi’s nonlinear novel. Her delivery of the many Arabic words and passages intensifies it, and her deft pacing and cadence give form to the memories and experiences that create the plot. The novel ties together the past life of the solitary narrator, a student named Zuhoor, and the vivid remembrances of her grandmother, Beit Amin. The author, winner of the Man Booker Prize, writes lyrically about the lives of women and girls in traditional societies. The listener comes away bathed in the poetry.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from BOLINDA. A world-leading audiobook and technology company, Bolinda publishes the greatest books you’ll ever hear…
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Aug 29, 2022
WE ARE THE MIDDLE OF FOREVER by Dahr Jamail, Stan Rushworth [Eds.], read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s decision to narrate these personal stories in a straightforward, thoughtful yet intimate manner enhances the testimonies of Native American attitudes on the climate crisis. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this collection edited by Dahr Jamail and Stan Rushworth, which includes both criticism of the historical treatment of First Nations, and some optimism that our hyperactive, consumer-driven culture of the West can learn from tribal environmental knowledge (TEK) and the ways of earth stewardship from Indigenous peoples. Taylor-Corbett’s calm, conversational tone is attuned to the nuanced calls for action that the audiobook’s many contributors spell out. This audiobook provides hope and deserves a broad listening audience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from BOLINDA. A w…
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Aug 26, 2022
OSMO UNKNOWN AND THE EIGHTPENNY WOODS by Catherynne M. Valente, read by Heath Miller
Narrator Heath Miller is entrancing in Catherynne M. Valente’s adventurous middle-grade fantasy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the lively and engaging story of 13-year-old Osmo, who longs for an interesting life out of Littlebridge, and finds it in unfortunate circumstances. Osmo now must enter the woods with unwilling companions—Bonk the Cross, a skadgebat (skunk-badger-wombat), and Nevermore, the pangirlin. Miller creates a fantastical array of character voices for each and every being, human and otherwise. Osmo’s voice is fittingly kind and soft-spoken as he ventures on his quest, while Bonk’s Scottish brogue and melodramatic crustiness is improbably endearing. Miller’s droll English accent expresses authority yet invites trust; the listener is willingly carried off to the fabled Eightpenny Woods. Excellent family listening.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Find more audiobook recom…
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Aug 25, 2022
SISTERS MATSUMOTO by Philip Kan Gotanda, read by Keiko Agena, June Angela, Ron Bottitta, Kurt Kanazawa, Suzy Nakamura, Greg Watanabe, Ryun Yu
With poignant grace, Keiko Agena, June Angela, and Suzy Nakamura lead a stellar cast playing three Japanese American sisters finding hope, heartache, and hard-won humor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this story of a family’s return to their farm in California after four long years in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. Hoping to pick up where they left off, they discover that the farm is in shambles. Listeners hear the pressures of politics and the impacts of racism and violence and the ways the family moves forward. The performance is followed by an excellent panel discussion on the internment camps with actor George Takei, playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, and director Tim Dang.
Hear SISTERS MATSUMOTO and three more audio plays in the Japanese American Civil Liberties collection on AudioFile’s Audiobook Break podcast, starting on September 13th.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by L.A. Theatre Works.
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Aug 24, 2022
THE ROMANCE RECIPE by Ruby Barrett, read by Chelsea Stephens, Natalie Naudus
Chelsea Stephens and Natalie Naudus share the narration of Ruby Barrett’s captivating listen for romance fans and foodies alike. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this romance set in the cutthroat restaurant world. Stephens narrates as Sophie, a former reality show chef who wants to be appreciated for her cooking skills, not her 10 minutes of fame, and is hoping to explore her newly realized bisexuality after a devastating breakup. Naudus narrates as Amy, who is desperate to keep her struggling restaurant open and prove to herself—and her father—that she isn’t a failure. She also has a majorly inconvenient attraction to Sophie. There is a quiet intensity in both performances that helps listeners understand all that is at stake for both women, personally and professionally, and listeners will be thrilled to hear their journeys to happiness.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harlequin Audio.
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Aug 23, 2022
HEARTBREAKER by Sarah MacLean, read by Mary Jane Wells
Mary Jane Wells charms and delights as she narrates Sarah MacLean’s latest adventurous historical romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this fun and romantic story that has listeners racing along the countryside with the bold Adelaide Frampton and the staid Duke of Clayborn. Adelaide grew up among London’s most dangerous criminals, until she was rescued and drawn into the secretive world of the Hell’s Belles. Now she uses her unassuming demeanor, quick fingers, and fighting skills to right society’s wrongs. But she hasn’t escaped the notice of Clayborn, and when the two meet, sparks fly. Wells is excellent at narrating this romantic and thrilling listen, capturing the lively spirit of the unlikely pair.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by HarperAudio.
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Aug 22, 2022
THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, read by Gisela Chìpe
Gisela Chìpe’s performance of Silva Moreno-Garcia’s audiobook is exceptionally touching. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this theatrical, action-filled retelling of H.G. Wells’s ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU, this time set in the Yucatán peninsula in the late 1800s. Dr. Moreau’s daughter Carlota grows up alongside his mysterious human-animal hybrids in their remote hacienda among lush jungles. She’s curious and intelligent, but hasn’t been told the whole story about her father’s work and intentions for the hybrids. Listeners hear the perspective of Carlota, along with the hacienda’s British overseer Montgomery, and Chìpe differentiates between the characters beautifully, along with the many others, both human and not. It’s an intense and engaging tale that combines science fiction with a coming-of-age story in a unique and captivating setting.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Aug 19, 2022
INVISIBLE THINGS by Mat Johnson, read by Nicole Lewis
Mat Johnson’s allegorical novel gives Nicole Lewis the opportunity to shine in her portrayal of Nalini, a sociologist traveling to a remote moon. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this science fiction tale set on one of Jupiter’s moons. Nalini and a ship of astronauts are abducted by “invisible things” and transported to New Roanoke, a community closely watched in a terrarium. Lewis’s warm voice and dexterity with accents make each politician and community member unique. Listeners will be caught up in this mesmerizing story.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Aug 18, 2022
NARRATOR by Landon Beach, read by Scott Brick
Landon Beach has provided audiobook lovers with a tribute to narrators wrapped in a psychological thriller and delivered with deep emotion and intensity by Scott Brick. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb have fun talking about this thriller that provides an intimate view into the mindset, challenges, and joys experienced by narrators. Brick’s dramatic delivery draws listeners into the life of Shawn Frost, a failing playwright who now narrates award-winning audiobooks—and is kidnapped. A thrilling invitation for listeners to step into the recording booth.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Landon Beach.
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Aug 17, 2022
THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware, read by Imogen Church
Narrator Imogen Church adeptly plays all of the characters in this latest mystery from Ruth Ware. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the story of Hannah, bookstore owner and soon-to-be mother, who is suddenly revisiting shocking events of her past in Oxford. Hannah’s roommate, April, was the “it girl” who drew Hannah into her orbit—and who was murdered. When a journalist grows suspicious that the man convicted of the murder was actually innocent, Hannah becomes determined to discover the truth. Church stays engaged as she takes listeners into the past to discover what really happened in Oxford 10 years earlier.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.
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Aug 16, 2022
NSFW by Isabel Kaplan, read by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
In Isabel Kaplan’s timely audiobook, an unnamed protagonist encountered misogyny at her job as an assistant at a Hollywood television network. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how narrator Stephanie Nemeth-Parker rises to the many challenges the book presents. She expertly depicts the protagonist’s claustrophobic and virulent workplace environment, where she is sexually assaulted by another assistant. Her youthful and expressive tone brings added emotional intelligence to this tragically relatable story.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
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Aug 15, 2022
CONFIDENCE by Denise Mina, read by Rona Morison, Jonathan Keeble
Narrator Rona Morison masterfully portrays the numerous characters in Denise Mina’s complex new mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this European country-hopping tale of Anna and Fin, two mystery-solving podcasters searching for a missing livestreamer, Lisa Lee. Anna and Fin are contacted by a South African antiques dealer—and possible con man—Bram van Wyk, traveling with him on the hunt, and Jonathan Keeble’s deep voice is well matched for the mysterious character.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
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Aug 12, 2022
THE TURNING by Tim Winton, read by Humphrey Bower, Caroline Lee
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the celebrated Australian author’s work, narrated expertly by Caroline Lee and Humphrey Bower. This collection of interlocking stories chronicles all that life has to offer, both good and bad, in a Western Australian coastal town. They are spare, emotional vignettes that focus on choices and consequences. Bower and Lee’s voices alternate throughout the story, and are strong, clear, and emotional without being overwrought or dramatic. A unique listening experience. Tim Winton’s audiobooks will be in discussion in an upcoming AudioFile webinar on August 22nd. Register for the event online.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Bolinda Audio.
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Aug 11, 2022
HORSE by Geraldine Brooks, read by James Fouhey, Lisa Flanagan, Graham Halstead, Katherine Littrell, Michael Obiora
Five talented actors honor Geraldine Brooks’s fine new historical novel with unique and complementary performances. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how each narrator establishes a clear style for their character and their story’s era. Inspired by the actual record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, the story takes place in the 1805s, 1950, and in 2019. Listeners hear from the enslaved groom who cared for the horse, the horse’s portraitist, a gallery owner, a Nigerian-American art historian, and a Smithonian scientist. The rich and layered story comes to life with the talented narrations, making a gripping, memorable, and thought-provoking American tale.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.
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Aug 10, 2022
LUCKY TURTLE by Bill Roorbach, read by Brittany Pressley
Brittany Pressley’s sweet voice is the ideal vehicle for Bill Roorbach’s transporting novel of hardship, love, and redemption. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this story that makes the wild Montana land feel alive for listeners. We meet teenager Cindra Zoeller in the 1990s when she’s sent to a Montana reform camp. Soon, she and the camp’s young handyman have fallen in love, and they begin a lifelong odyssey by escaping into the wilderness. The novel’s bounteous lyricism, and its love for landscape and people, are delivered with heart-brimming appreciation.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Workman Audio.
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Aug 9, 2022
THE VERIFIERS by Jane Pek, read by Eunice Wong
Eunice Wong performs Jane Pek’s debut novel with appropriate intensity and delicate humor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the unique energy that Eunice brings to the story of Claudia Lin. Claudia has just quit her boring finance gig and taken a position with a start-up investigating bad behavior in online matchmaking. Soon a mysterious client disappears, and Claudia is on the case. This detective story, rom-com, and funny but piquant family drama all at once makes for a delightful listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Aug 8, 2022
THE MATCH by Harlan Coben, read by Steven Weber
Harlan Coben’s new audiobook is an edge-of-your seat gripper. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Steven Weber’s Earphones Award-winning performance in this second installment of Wilde. In THE BOY FROM THE WOODS we learn the story of Wilde, a child found in the woods with no memory of how he got there. In MATCH, Wilde still doesn’t know his story, but an ancestry website identifies a match for Wilde’s father—who promptly vanishes. Then a cousin; same story. And then the bodies start piling up. It’s very skillful, very high-octane fun.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio.
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Aug 5, 2022
A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY by Becky Chambers, read by Emmett Grosland
Emmett Grosland narrates with the perfect tone for Becky Chamber’s delightful and introspective sequel to A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly tells host Jo Reed about the joy of spending time with tea monk Sibling Dex and their always inquisitive robot companion, Mosscap. The two are leaving the woods behind and venturing out into the human villages on their moon, Panga, to help Mosscap understand the needs of humans. Grosland gives Mosscap a bright voice that suits the charming robot and captures Dex’s exasperated yet kind tone as they try to guide Mosscap through the human world. It’s a hopeful listen, full of humor, in a world that listeners will yearn to return to.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
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Aug 4, 2022
AUGUST KITKO AND THE MECHAS FROM SPACE by Alex White, read by Hayden Bishop
Hayden Bishop performs Alex White’s symphonic first entry into a unique space opera that blends sci-fi and music. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this audiobook that begins just as humanity is about to end — but fortunately, August Kitko steps in as an unlikely hero. A virtuoso pianist, Gus is unprepared to be scooped into a gigantic mech suit and thrust into battle, but his musical talents forge a strong connection with the rebel alien faction working to save humanity. Bishop embodies every character with engaging ease, giving each a distinct voice, and enlivening the action-packed sequences and witty banter alike.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio.
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Aug 3, 2022
AN IMMENSE WORLD by Ed Yong, read by Ed Yong
Science writer Ed Yong is an enthusiastic guide through the world of animal senses—many very different from our own. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the incredible examination of the multifaceted world of animal senses. Listeners join Ed as he visits labs, talks with researchers, and gets out in the field. He is a capable translator of scientific descriptions, keeping listeners engaged all the while. Listeners will learn much about the vast world that exists beyond our ken, and will be urged to consider the world through the eyes, ears, noses, and toes of our fellow creatures.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
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Aug 2, 2022
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by Julia Whelan, read by Julia Whelan
Author and Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan tells the story of Sewanee, an actress turned audiobook narrator. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly talk about the fun of listening to Julia narrate her own work. Sewanee grew up longing to act, but a tragic accident sends her life down a different past. Now well-loved for her audiobook narrations under her real name, she’s called upon to co-narrate a final work from a favorite romance author under her pseudonym. She and her secretive male narrator connect over emails and texts, but when their identities are revealed, everything is questioned. Intricacies of audiobook narration are balanced with palpable emotion voiced in an impressive range, including swoony love interests, gossiping grandmothers, and more.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio
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Aug 1, 2022
WHAT SOULS ARE MADE OF by Tasha Suri, read by Alex Williams, Becca Hirani
Alex Williams and Becca Hirani give impassioned performances in a captivating retelling of Emily Brontë’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Tashi Suri’s marvelous, haunting addition to the Remixed Classics series. A dark-skinned “boy from nowhere,” Heathcliff flees the Heights after hearing Cathy say he’s too lowborn to marry her. Williams embodies Heathcliff’s hurt and anger as he fights to forge his own life in Liverpool. Cathy feels endless guilt, and Hirani channels all of the character’s desperation to escape her weighty obligations and the past that haunts her family. Suri’s adaptation gives listeners perspectives on the minds of these two teenagers who are desperately in love, while also delving into their backstories and underscoring the impact of British colonization.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio.
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Jul 29, 2022
EMBRACE FEARLESSLY THE BURNING WORLD by Barry Lopez, Rebecca Solnit [Intro.], read by James Naughton, Rebecca Solnit [Intro.]
James Naughton has narrated several of the late Barry Lopez’s audiobooks, and he performs in a deep, calm, resonant tone. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Naughton’s distinctive voice and apt delivery suit these valedictory essays. The audiobook takes the listener around the globe and captures Barry the writer and naturalist engaged in field work in places “remote, elemental, and fierce.” The listener is treated to his forays to the South Pole, the Alaskan outback, and Africa.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
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Jul 28, 2022
SINGING LESSONS FOR THE STYLISH CANARY by Laura Stanfill, read by Graham Halstead
Graham Halstead performs Laura Stanfill’s audiobook with the right balance of storyteller and conspirator. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss an immersive novel set primarily in rural France in the 19th century. Halstead narrates the galloping historical novel with just the right pace and intonation. Music runs through the text as well, as the family business of Heri Blanchard is crafting serinettes, small hand organs used to teach male canaries to sing. A fine and fun listen.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Blackstone Audio.
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Jul 27, 2022
THE ANGEL OF ROME by Jess Walter, read by Edoardo Ballerini, Julia Whelan
Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this audiobook that marks the convergence of two Golden Voice narrators with one of the country’s finest fiction writers. Author Jess Walter’s writing ennobles his characters, making the ordinary extraordinary. Edoardo Ballerini and Julia Whelan narrate these empathic, witty, and finely wrought short stories. Whelan sparkles with her persuasive style, smooth tone, and practiced cadence. Ballerini acts all his stories with restraint and veracity, performing with his characteristic empathy and signature evocative tone.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Try a new spectacular original super-heroic series available in no other format! TANGENT KNIGHTS by Christopher L. Bennett. The Full Cast Audiobook #2: Tempest Tossed is out now at…
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Jul 26, 2022
ROUGE STREET by Shuang Xuetao, Jeremy Tiang [Trans.], read by Brian Nishii
Brian Nishii gives Shuan Xuetao’s three novellas a vivid, unforgettable performance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how these stories give insights to life in Shenyang, China, written in spare revelatory prose. Nishii illuminates the harsh existences of the characters but there’s wit and whimsy, too. Shuang Xuetao is among China’s most honored young writers; ROUGE STREET is his first work to be translated into English.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
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Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Dramatized adaptations produced with a full cast, cinematic music and sound effects. Action packed audiobooks like you never heard before. Save up to 40% Off this month! Try samples of 1,600 titles now at GraphicAudio.net
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Jul 25, 2022
NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ by Morgan Talty, read by Darrell Dennis
Darrell Dennis narrates Morgan Talty’s collection of interconnected short stories with calculated restraint, empathy, and a sure sense of the author’s voice. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this debut collection from Talty (Penobscot Indian Nation), a gifted young writer from Maine. Dennis voices central character David, who is Penobscot, with a convincing tone and careful cadence. The stories teeter from funny to sad, capturing the dark contours of life on the reservation, creating an isolated and insular world for listeners.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Featuring a radically different audiobook experience of A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. Save up to 40% Off this month! Try samples of 1,600 titles now at GraphicAudio.net
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Jul 22, 2022
In Conversation with Adjoa Andoh, Golden Voice Narrator
In today’s bonus episode, host Jo Reed interviews Adjoa Andoh, named one of AudioFile’s 2022 Golden Voice narrators this June. Listen to their conversation to hear more about her career in acting and audiobooks, the power of acting, and the incredible success of “Bridgerton,” the Netflix series in which she plays the scene-stealer Lady Danbury.
Adjoa Andoh is a well-loved British actor of stage, screen, and radio, and she has brought hundreds of audiobooks to life for listeners over the years, many of them winners of Earphones Awards. She has been recognized on AudioFile's annual Best Audiobooks lists for her narrations across a range of genres, including Lauren Groff's historical fiction MATRIX, Nnedi Okorafor's fantastical sci-fi REMOTE CONTROL, and Talia Hibbert's lively contemporary romance GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN.
Learn more about Golden Voice narrator Adjoa Andoh and read reviews of her audiobooks on AudioFile’s website.
For the full list of AudioFile’s Golden Voice n…
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Jul 22, 2022
POET WARRIOR by Joy Harjo, read by Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo, the first Native American U.S. poet laureate, narrates a stunning memoir filled with wisdom and compassion. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss how Harjo’s voice invites listeners in, as she narrates with a calm, lyrical narration. She shares tales of her Muscogee/Creek ancestors, personal anecdotes and remembrances, and her growing awareness of messages found in the natural world. She sings ancient songs, recites her poetry, and offers stirring messages of forgiveness, healing, and enlightenment. A quietly memorable listening experience.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Try a new spectacular original super-heroic series available in no other format! TANGENT KNIGHTS by Christopher L. Bennett. The Full Cast Audiobook #2: Tempest Tossed is out now at Grap…
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Jul 21, 2022
THE KEY TO DECEIT by Ashley Weaver, read by Alison Larkin
A spirited performance by Alison Larkin enlivens the second Electra McDonnell historical mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss Ashley Weaver’s novel set before the Blitz in London, 1940. The body of a woman found in the Thames is wearing a cuff bracelet requiring unlocking. The Major calls upon Ellie and her less-than-legal skills to unlock it. Larkin captures Ellie’s smart-alecky attitude to perfection, along with her cheerful, chirpy comments. They discover a tiny camera hidden in the bracelet, and they realize they are dealing with a network of German spies looking for possible bombing sites. Then the bombing begins. Engrossing listening.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Dreamscape.
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Jul 20, 2022
BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA by Katie Cotugno, read by Julia Whelan
Julia Whelan becomes former child star Fiona St. James, offering just the right amount of backstage gossip, romance, and mystery to keep listeners engaged. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss this Golden Voice narrator’s talented performance. Fiona was a pivotal character in the TV sitcom “Birds of California.” When the producers want to reboot the series and co-star Sam Fox tries to convince her to join, dormant feelings emerge and she becomes irrational and unpredictable. Whelan provides credible voices and emotions, developing the romantic undercurrent between Sam and Fiona. Great summer listening.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Try a new spectacular original super-heroic series available in no other format! TANGENT KNIGHTS by Christopher L. Bennett. The…
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Jul 19, 2022
MAGIC, LIES, AND DEADLY PIES by Misha Popp, read by Tanya Eby
Tanya Eby delivers a sweet treat in this delightful new audiobook mystery series from Misha Popp. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss this tale of Daisy, a pie-baking, vigilante, serial-killer-witch who bakes up “murder pies” to settle scores for women who have abusive men in their lives. Daisy, a most unusual heroine, confesses, “The first time I killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. But only the first.” Eby’s Daisy is upbeat and warmhearted, and her quirky and engaging performance makes Daisy’s questionable moral compass unquestionably digestible.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Dreamscape.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Dramatized adaptations produced with a full cast, cinematic music and sound effects. Action packed audiobooks like you never heard before. Save up to 40% Off this month!…
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Jul 18, 2022
A SPY'S LIFE by Henry Porter, read by Matthew Lloyd Davies
Matthew Lloyd Davies’s performance is intelligent, honest, and compelling in Henry Porter’s intriguing story filled with spycraft and surprises. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss the many twists and turns that Davies takes listeners down as he performs this terrific audiobook. Robert Harland, ex-British spy, currently works for the UN secretary-general. After surviving a plane crash, he’s drawn back into intelligence work. As narrator, Davies is the complete package. When a man claiming to be Harland’s son appears, Davies ratchets up the tension. His voice is flexible, and his characterizations are completely credible, thanks to his top-notch acting
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by HighBridge Audio.
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Jul 15, 2022
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS by Minnie Driver, read by Minnie Driver
English actor Minnie Driver’s captivating performance of her exceptional memoir will have you listening 24/7. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the memoir told in a series of emotional essays providing insights into Driver’s life as a human, rather than as a star. In witty prose and with great storytelling skill, Driver offers beautifully crafted, often funny, always wise snapshots of her life. Her warm, inviting voice makes you wish to stay long in her company.
Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio.
Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com
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Jul 14, 2022