Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Begin and end your day with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s gentle, encouraging voice offering tiny but powerful doses of affirmation and inspiration. He guides you not just with his words, but with his breaths, or a yawn—this audiobook is an intimate experience that you can savor one pep talk at a time. The creator and star of “Hamilton” shares these sometimes sweet, sometimes moving, sometimes funny greetings, compiled from years of his posts on Twitter. Published by Random House Audio. Read the full review of GMORNING, GNIGHT! at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A “sortabiography” from actor and comedian Eric Idle, member of the legendary comedy troupe Monty Python and author of the Broadway musical “Spamalot.” Can it get any better than Idle telling his own life story? Funny voices, Monty-Pythonesque routines, and his own god-given distinctive British accent bring us one of the funniest audiobooks of the year. Published by Random House Audio. Read the full review of ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bosch. Harry Bosch. In his 21st novel, L.A. Detective Harry Bosch is joined by young, fierce police detective Renée Ballard, who Connelly introduced in THE LATE SHOW. They collaborate on a cold case. Titus Welliver, who plays the title role in Amazon’s BOSCH, has won a succession of Earphones Awards for the Bosch audiobooks, and he’s joined here by Christine Lakin as Ballard. Published by Hachette Audio. Read the full review of DARK SACRED NIGHT at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a poet’s passion, Kwame Alexander narrates his novel-in-verse about high school friends Noah and Walt. Alexander’s strong connection to his characters shines—he’s inside the heads of these teens. Consider it a listening companion to SOLO, also by Alexander and Hess, or the celebrated THE CROSSOVER—both Earphones Award winners. In an AudioFile interview, Alexander said, “Good poetry—the kind that connects and resonates with readers and listeners—is work that stands on the page and on the stage.” Published by Blink. Read the full review of SWING at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could you burn a book? Orlean, author of THE ORCHID THIEF, contemplates the idea in her book that’s part memoir, part tribute to libraries and librarians. Intriguing and fascinating, the audiobook, read by the author, is full of bizarre factoids about the Los Angeles Public Library and the library’s catastrophic 1986 fire. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Read the full review of THE LIBRARY BOOK at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An audiobook for the first time, James Baldwin’s 1961 essay collection conveys his struggle to understand the times in which he was living, his self-imposed exile abroad, and his subsequent decision to return home—and then venture into the American south. His seminal essay collection THE FIRE NEXT TIME was published in 1963. The series of essays in this audiobook sheds light on the thinking of one of America’s great writers and social observers. Narrator Kevin Kenerly will knock listeners out with his performance. Published by Blackstone Audio. Read the full review of NOBODY KNOWS MY NAME at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine contributor Jonathan Smith. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the key role the French navy played in the American Revolution through the straightforward account by celebrated historian Nathaniel Philbrick. The naval and military strategy was vital in the run-up to the battle of Yorktown in 1781. Golden Voice Scott Brick makes the most of Philbrick’s journalistic style. He’s also the narrator of Philbrick’s other maritime histories IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, VALIANT AMBITION, and SEA OF GLORY. Published by Penguin Audio. Read the full review of IN THE HURRICANE’S EYE at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine contributor Jonathan Smith. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This biography of David Hosack, a pioneer in medicine and in botany and attending doctor at the duel between Hamilton and Burr, is one of those great untold stories. Johnson's book is a National Book Award finalist, and it’s a captivating look at both daily life and aspects of medical and political history in the early 1800s. Hosack was also the founder of the first public garden in America. Narrator Susan Ericksen nicely illuminates this portrait of Dr. Hosack. Published by HighBridge Audio. Read the full review of AMERICAN EDEN at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine contributor Jonathan Smith. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners expecting another macabre tale from Stephen King may be surprised by this audiobook—but pleasantly so. A timely tale about finding common ground, the story is set in the familiar town of Castle Rock, a place where, as in all small towns, people have deep-rooted differences. It’s narrated by the author, who has a keen sense of pacing and fun accents for his Maine characters. And for readers who appreciate King’s short stories, a bonus included in the audiobook is “Laurie,” a tender short story about a man and his dog. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Read the full review of ELEVATION at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine contributor Jonathan Smith. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This biography of Manhattan District Attorney Eunice Carter is remarkable—both for her accomplishments—including helping to take down the notorious mobster “Lucky” Luciano—and also for being a trailblazer as an African-American woman in the 1930s. Carter was grandmother of the book’s author, Stephen L. Carter, who is a Yale law professor and author of fiction and social commentary. Published by Macmillan Audio. Read the full review of INVISIBLE at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine contributor Jonathan Smith Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into a magical world where vampires, witches, and daemons live among humans. As with her All Souls Trilogy, Harkness offers a rich tapestry of intersecting stories. Listeners revisit Diana and Matthew and their magical twins, and learn of vampiric transformations in the present and during the American Revolution. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld nimbly adds diverse accents to the mix. Published by Penguin Audio. Read the full review of TIME'S CONVERT at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor Emily Connelly. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A contemporary retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE set in a tight-knit Bushwick neighborhood. Zuri Benitez and her four sisters cope as changes come to their lives and their community. Ibi Zoboi is known for last year’s celebrated YA novel, AMERICAN STREET. Narrator Acevedo—an award-winning slam poet—gives these verses a perfect flow. Publisher by HarperAudio. Read the full review of PRIDE at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor Emily Connelly. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A perfect listen for fans of adventure stories, with strong women carving out lives on their own terms. Felicity Montague, a young Englishwoman in the 1700s, has the single-minded ambition to become a doctor—and is readily and repeatedly told that being a woman means the world of medicine is closed to her. Remember THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE? Listeners will be glad to encounter Percy and Monty again in this satisfying sequel. Published by HarperAudio. Read the full review of THE LADY'S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor Emily Connelly. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the complex emotions of adopted children in this memoir about family. Narrator Janet Song recounts the upbringing of author Nicole Chung, a Korean-American who was adopted by white Americans and raised in a small, mostly Caucasian town in Oregon. Song's narration is sensitive as she delivers details of subtle discrimination against Chung and her questions about her biological parents. This contemporary exploration of identity will resonate with many listeners. Published by HighBridge Audio. Read the full review of ALL YOU CAN EVER KNOW at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor Emily Connelly. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you already love Rosie Revere and her fellow Questioneers? The picture books have many fans, and your young listeners will find lots to like with Rosie’s second audiobook. Sound effects and music add to the fun, along with inspiration for problem solving and inventions. Rachel L. Jacobs’s narration is a perfect complement and received AudioFile’s Earphones Award. Published by Dreamscape. Read the full review of ROSIE REVERE AND THE RAUCOUS RIVETERS at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile editor Emily Connelly. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This darkly funny novel of contemporary Russian life is both charming and depressing. Russian-born American grad student Andrei returns “home” to take care of his grandmother. Baba Seva steals the show in Ari Fliakos’s heartbreaking and hilarious performance of this frail and feisty elderly woman. Fliakos is a perfect choice in the casting of A TERRIBLE COUNTRY. Author Gessen worked as a journalist on politics and Russian life, but in his second novel turns observations into fiction. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor & founder Robin Whitten. Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of FRANKENSTEIN’s 200th birthday, YA author White has cooked up a grand retelling that focuses on his companion/fiancée, Elizabeth. If Gothic tales are your listening pleasure, this audiobook is for you. And what’s better than hearing the twisted tale? Imagine all the film adaptation of the Frankenstein story, and plug in for British actress Katharine McEwan’s smooth and chilling performance. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor & founder Robin Whitten Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JK Rowling writing as Galbraith has created detective Cormoran Strike, war veteran turned private eye and new darling of gritty British crime fiction. In Cormoran’s fourth outing, his partner Robin Ellacott is now a partner in the agency, and they are faced with another brutal murder—this time a Cabinet Minister. Narrator Glenister is perfecting his command of the audiobook series, and listeners are hooked from the get-go. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor & founder Robin Whitten Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Grann (author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON) originally published an account of one man’s extraordinary trek across Antarctica in The New Yorker. The isolation and fortitude of Henry Worsley’s solo expedition to cross the freezing landscape of Antarctica is both fascinating and terrifying. The ghost of Ernest Shackleton haunts and inspires the British explorer. It’s hard not to admire the determination and obsession of Worsley’s quest. Brilliant narrator Will Patton, who we most often think of for fiction, will keep you frozen to your headphones. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor & founder Robin Whitten Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow Sheriff Walt Longmire across the remote Mexican desert as he pursues the kidnappers of his beloved daughter Cady. Baddest of bad, drug lord Tomas Bodarte unleashes a landslide of challenges for Walt to overcome. Signature quirky characters of Craig Johnson’s long-running series abound, and the smart dialogue entertains throughout. Golden Voice George Guidall delivers each character and harebrained situation with aplomb. If you’ve only seen the “Longmire” streaming series, the Johnson-Guidall audiobook versions will totally engage you. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine editor & founder Robin Whitten Support for Behind the Mic comes from Grammy Award-winning publisher Hachette Audio, home to works by James Patterson, JK Rowling, Joel Osteen, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Connelly, and many more bestselling audiobooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did SOPRANOS veteran Michael Imperioli come to write and perform his first novel—a coming-of-age drama about a young man and his friendship with rock god Lou Reed? Michael chats about his 30-year acting career, his evolving life as a writer, and his involvement with the audiobook process to create THE PERFUME BURNED HIS EYES. Chatting with host Jo Reed, Michael shares his story, including the many careful details that evoke Matthew’s innocence and the wild side of Manhattan of 1976, and the freedom of writing a complete novel. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Today’s bonus episode features a conversation between Michael Imperioli and Behind the Mic host Jo Reed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This posthumous memoir from the beloved NEW YORK TIMES fashion photographer chronicles his early life as a milliner in New York City, long before he was capturing street style and covering high society. Arthur Morey’s performance brims with Cunningham’s enthusiasm, high spirits, and sweetness as he turns setbacks and deprivations into hilarious triumphs. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This portrait of Holocaust survivor Ludwig Sokolov, based on his own account revealed to the author, becomes a mesmerizing account for listeners. Sokolov was sent to Auschwitz in 1942 as a prisoner and assigned the role of tattooing Jewish prisoners. His spirit and courageous works to help other prisoners are captured. British narrator Richard Armitage (“The Hobbit,” “North and South”) will sweep listeners away with his emotional connection and powerful performance. Synchronicity Films has a TV series in the works. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Booker Prize-winning novelist Pat Barker, known for her powerful WWI history in the Regeneration trilogy, enters the world of reimagined myths. Homer’s ILIAD is the basis for this account of warriors gods and the women swept up in the conflict of the Greek and Trojans. A pair of British narrators, Kristin Atherton and Michael Fox, connect to this dramatic story and bring it home to listeners. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her first memoir, as she always has with her film and television work—from “Norma Rae” to “Gidget”—actress Sally Field connects to her audience with a strong sense of narrative voice. She gives a sensitive and earnest account of the obstacles and successes in her life, the abuse of her stepfather, and her relationship with the late Burt Reynolds—delivering it all with grace and honesty. Both the writing and delivery stand out in the genre of celebrity memoirs. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Root for the unlikely heroes of this high adventure who escape by hot air balloon from an 1830s Caribbean plantation to the arctic plains of Canada. Narrator Dion Graham pulls out the stops to sweep listeners along with the eleven-year-old enslaved boy and his master. Beautiful, evocative writing has put this historical novel on the shortlist for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover an enlightening explanation of what meditation is—and what it is not. Author and narrator Jon Kabat-Zinn uses quiet encouragement to reveal that mediation is simpler and more fluid that many expect, and therefore less intimidating. He tells listeners that meditation is about awareness of mind and emotions, but not the content of those thoughts and emotions. Kabat-Zinn has written and narrated audiobooks about mindful eating, mindfulness at work, and mindfulness for beginners. Listen and be inspired to find peace and awareness this weekend. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine reviewer Jonathan Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden voice narrator Robin Miles narrates a biography of Richard Durham, an African-American radio broadcaster who was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Durham rose as an intellectual during a period when African-American writing was getting increased attention after WWII, and his story is good listening for history buffs. Robin Miles narrates with smooth transitions, and even sings out some of the spirituals featured in the story. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine reviewer Jonathan Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The perfect listen for a road trip. Richard Ratay’s audiobook looks at how travel, cars, and roads have evolved in the U.S. It’s a lighthearted listen about the “joys” of family road trips in the 1970s, and narrator Jonathan Todd Ross delightfully handles the history, both of American travel and of Ratay’s family adventures. Listen for a fascinating history lesson about the development of the car and American roads. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine reviewer Jonathan Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This moving audiobook is written and narrated by two siblings who were in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a classmate shot and killed 14 students and 3 faculty members, and injured 17 others. Leaders of the #NEVERAGAIN movement, both David and Lauren Hogg have become outspoken advocates for gun safety reform and gun control measures, and this audiobook voices their shock at the events of that day, and their anger that little has been done to prevent further shootings. This is a remarkable narration of a brief but powerful audiobook. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine reviewer Jonathan Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like science? If so, you’re in luck. THE TANGLED TREE is a deep dive into what makes us—us. Science writer David Quammen introduces the study of molecular phylogenetics, which completely changed our understanding of what we often think of as the evolutionary “tree of life.” Narrator Jacques Roy’s fluid and engaging style combined with Quammen’s mix of science and stories makes this audiobook a good listen for science lovers. On the National Book Award longlist for Nonfiction. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine reviewer Jonathan Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A cast of narrators presents this anthology from YA lit stars published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Stories from Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon, Melissa de la Cruz, and Daniel José Older and more are brought to life by narrators including Guy Lockard, Bahni Turpin, Dion Graham, and Kim Mai Guest. Listen to a sample from Reynolds’s bittersweet romantic story “Eraser Tattoo,” and don’t miss out on this affecting collection full of stories about and by diverse people with compelling stories to share. Perfect weekend listening for teens and adults alike. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine assistant editor Emily Connelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The perfect audiobook for Jane Austen lovers who are willing to think past those tidy Happily Ever After endings. Marisa Calin brings a refreshing voice to the much beloved PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, this time with the focus on the plain and “unlovely” middle Bennet sister, Mary. Listeners will be charmed as Mary develops a rich inner life for herself as a writer, and a romantic. Author Katherine J. Chen has written a satisfying and feminist ode to unlovely women as she explores the dynamics of Austen’s world with a modern eye. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine assistant editor Emily Connelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the wholly satisfying conclusion to Tim Federle’s Odyssey honor middle-grade series. As both author and narrator, Tim Federle fully embodies Nate, making sure that we understand him and his vibrant and dynamic personality — and his insecurities. Nate’s just come off of a summer of performing on Broadway, and now has to handle going back to high school, where he hasn’t yet come out as gay. Listeners will want to get to know Nate in the first two audiobooks in this series, BETTER NATE THAN EVER and FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE, before leaping into this final chapter. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine assistant editor Emily Connelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Kate Atkinson has no match for atmosphere,” says narrator Fenella Woolgar, and we wholeheartedly agree. Eighteen-year-old Juliet Armstrong has been recruited by MI5 to transcribe recordings of fascist sympathizers — they don’t know it, but they are telling their traitorous secrets to an MI5 agent, not to the Gestapo. Things get more complicated when Juliet is asked to take on a fake identity herself to infiltrate the “Fifth Column” of London society. Woolgar enlivens the broad cast of characters, and her interpretations of Juliet’s wry asides are spot on. Listen and enjoy historical fiction from a master writer and narrator. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine assistant editor Emily Connelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This inspirational audiobook for middle-grade listeners gracefully explores what life was like for African Americans after WWII and celebrates the magic of books. Narrator Dion Graham gives an immersive performance, reading with a light Southern drawl. In 1943, 11-year-old Langston and his father move Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and Langston is having a hard time adjusting. By spending time at the George Cleveland Hall branch of the Chicago Public Library, where African-American heroes of literature are celebrated, Langston finds solace and discovers a love of reading. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine assistant editor Emily Connelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Shatner loves to write, and narrate, his memoirs --his newest has all the trademark humor and candor. Here he talks Star Trek, aging, and his Hollywood world. Great listening fun. This humorous and down-to-earth audiobook will entertain, and who doesn’t love to hear Shatner talk! For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This mystery recommendation follows Frieda Klein, a consulting psychologist who becomes a serial murderer’s obsession. Narrator Beth Chalmers hits the pacing and the interesting secondary characters beautifully in this audiobook written by a husband-and-wife team who go by Nicci French. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you ready for the ultimate audiobook mash-up? A blend of science fiction, mystery, military strategy, humor--all with a ton of momentum. This audiobook follows Colonel Carl Butler, a retired war hero, called to another planet to investigate the disappearance of a VIP’s son. Science fiction fans and sci-fi skeptics alike will enjoy PLANETSIDE as it offers something for every listener. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we talk about one of the audiobooks that the popular BBC TV series “Shetland” is based on. This title is the conclusion of an eight-book series featuring DI Jimmy Perez. If you saw this BBC miniseries, we promise these audiobooks will offer you an even richer world exploring the bleak, windswept beauty of the Shetland Islands. Don’t be worried if you haven’t listened to other audiobooks in this series, as AudioFile’s Robin says you can jump in and enjoy this mystery. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, Hello Sunshine, selected this thriller, and Reese calls it “the ultimate mystery… the suspense will keep you up all night.” AudioFile editors listened to this mystery set in the flashy, sinister Los Angeles art world and recommend it to you. Narrator Tavia Gilbert is a two-time Audie winner and calls this one of her favorite projects. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks that turn creepy quickly, you’ll be hooked by STILL LIVES. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For fans of frighteningly believable stories, don’t miss today’s recommendation—a debut novel. We imagine ourselves in a world where half the population is allowed to speak only 100 words a day. For fans of THE HANDMAID’S TALE but better. Brace yourself for an excerpt of this timely and fascinating audiobook. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are host Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the release of the blockbuster movie, we revisit the romp of the audiobook version written by Kevin Kwan. The satire of the novel is at the heart of the story and part of the fun. Narrator Chen enlivens a broad cast of characters. Don’t blame us if you laugh out loud while listening to the excerpt in this podcast episode! For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Hosted by: Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s an audiobook that snares us in a labyrinthine web of lies, deceits, betrayals, and truths that span decades. This engrossing listen explores relationships and secrets between mothers and daughters and will have you glued to your earphones. Listen to an excerpt of this high-voltage audiobook that will have you both riveted to your seat and ready to jump out of it! For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are host Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 2018 marking the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, AudioFile discusses THE PRISON LETTERS OF NELSON MANDELA. Narrator Atandwa Kani played young Mandela in the film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” and more recently acted in “Black Panther.” Mandela’s letters will tear at listeners’ hearts, and Atandwa Kani’s narration is not to be missed. Listen to an excerpt of this Earphones Award-winning audiobook. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are host Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Pride-month breakout book. Two stories run parallel throughout this thoughtful audiobook, one unfolding during the early days of the AIDS epidemic in Chicago and the other taking place in a more contemporary time in Paris. A listen with strong emotional impact. The audio clip may have you rethinking flying but we promise that you don’t want to miss this audiobook. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. On today’s episode are host Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine publisher Michele Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on a special bonus episode of Behind the Mic, we talk with actor LeVar Burton. You know LeVar from “Roots,” as the host of “Reading Rainbow,” and now as host of the podcast “LeVar Burton Reads.” LeVar considered Fred Rogers a friend and mentor, and when the opportunity to narrate THE GOOD NEIGHBOR arose, LeVar jumped at the chance to honor the creator and host of the iconic PBS television series “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Listen in as LeVar discusses getting to know Fred Rogers, their shared vision for creating engaging and meaningful programming for children, and his acting career launched by his role on “Roots.” For millennials who grew up with LeVar on “Reading Rainbow,” or Gen Xers who loved Mr. Rogers, LeVar tell us 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. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Hosted by: Jo Reed with guest LeVar Burton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America is primed for this political thriller featuring a polarizing president. No, THE MIDDLEMAN isn’t a nonfiction audiobook recommendation but rather a cerebral novel of suspense by Olen Steinhauer. Narrator Ari Fliakos has a clear connection to literary work using emotional intimacy. This podcast includes an excerpt for this Earphones-winning audiobook that will have you ready to hit play. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Hosted by: Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t listen to this podcast in the dark! AudioFile shares an excerpt from Stephen King’s very creepy THE OUTSIDER, read by Will Patton. As we expect from the King and Patton combination, the emotional intensity makes this audiobook a subtle powerhouse. If this podcast is too scary for you, visit our website to read the audiobook review. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Hosted by: Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile editors recommend HARBOR ME, the new middle-grade title from acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson. In this audiobook, Woodson narrates as the teacher of a group of 6 students brought together in an experimental classroom to talk — without teachers around — for an hour every Friday. Each student is voiced by a different narrator, and this combination makes for an Earphones Award-winning audiobook. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter on our website. Hosted by: Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices