Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

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 Johnson, Eric Yves Garcia, Tanya Eby, Dina Pearlman SOMETHING FABULOUS by Alexis Hall, read by Nicholas Boulton THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by Julia Whelan, read by Julia Whelan For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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

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 KNEW THE END by C.L. Polk, read by January LaVoy MAXINE JUSTICE by Daniel Schwabauer, read by Aimee Lilly MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING by Marlon James, read by Bahni Turpin WITCHES ABROAD by Terry Pratchett, read by Indira Varma, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.], Neil Gaiman [Fore.], read by Brian Nishii THE LAST MAPMAKER by Christina Soontornvat, read by Sura Siu WINNIE-THE-POOH by A.A. Milne, read by Barbara Rosenblat For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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

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 HONEYS by Ryan La Sala, read by Pete Cross THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by Tiffany D. Jackson, read by JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar, Karen Malina White WHAT SOULS ARE MADE OF by Tasha Suri, read by Alex Williams, Becca Hirani For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Fiona Shaw, Richard Osman, Steph McGovern [Interview] THE MAID by Nita Prose, read by Lauren Ambrose THE MATCH by Harlan Coben, read by Steven Weber A SPY'S LIFE by Henry Porter, read by Matthew Lloyd Davies Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook 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

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 Louis Gates, Jr., Genevieve West [Eds. & Intro.], read by Robin Miles Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook 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

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 Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, Renée Zellweger RHYME'S ROOMS by Brad Leithauser, read by Kevin R. Free For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Genevieve Gaunt, Maggie O'Farrell [Afterword] NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub, read by Marin Ireland For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: 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

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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. 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

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. Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Simon & Schuster Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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

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. 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

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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 THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Macmillan 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 THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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 THE MAZE by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices