Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Asha Elias’s new audiobook, performed by an ensemble cast. The action centers around the PTA at an elementary school. Things get ugly when Melody Howard’s family moves from Kansas into the land of wealth and privilege for her husband’s new job in Miami. Melody, portrayed by Andi Arndt, gets sucked into this glamorous world, challenging PTA president Charlotte, played by Saskia Maarleveld. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Espinoza’s riveting audiobook delves into the lives of three generations of luchadores, masked Mexican wrestlers, who are grappling with love and family secrets in Mexico City and Los Angeles. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this powerful story where narrators Gisela Chípe, Tony Chiroldes, Lee Osorio, and André Santana bring depth and authenticity to their characters. Their nuanced performances enrich Espinoza's poignant narrative, making this audiobook a captivating exploration of heritage, identity, and familial bonds. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

M.K. Asante's performance captures the essence of what makes the audiobook medium vital: a living experience that grabs listeners from start to finish. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss a book that Michele calls memorable and affecting. Asante unfolds the story of his nephew Nasir's emergency treatment in intensive care after multiple gunshot wounds. Supporting performances by Dion Graham as Nasir's estranged father, Uzi, and Adenrele Ojo as the family matriarch are equally moving and, at times, heartbreaking. Listeners experience a collective performance that captures the power of art to touch the soul. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beatriz Williams’s new romantic audiobook is rendered perfectly by two narrators, Helen Laser and Caroline Hewitt. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this story about two women who are separated by decades and continents but joined by blood, tragedy, and a jeweled cobra bracelet. Laser portrays the contemporary New England heroine, Mallory, a single mom. Hewitt depicts Hannah, who in 1952 is living in Cairo, where it is seething with revolution. This production is filled with memorable characters, family secrets, passionate romance, and historical drama. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Liz Moore’s fascinating listen brought to life by Saskia Maareleveld. Thirteen-year-old Barbra Van Laar goes missing from her bunk at an Adirondack summer camp in 1975—and her brother vanished from the same location 16 years earlier. Maareleveld explores the impact the disappearances have on the Van Laar family and the surrounding working-class community amid the search for Barbra. She immerses listeners in the mystery, delivering subtle drama as the fallout from both disappearances leads to complications no one expects. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgina Campbell performs Donyae Coles’s gothic tale set in 1840s England. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this sinister listen. Orabella Mumthrope finds herself marrying a mysterious, wealthy stranger to help settle her uncle’s debt. At her new husband’s historic home, she finds his family seems to have far too many secrets. As Orabella struggles against restrictions and tries to figure out the key to her new family’s strange behavior, Campbell’s voice rises and falls with twists and turns in the story, maintaining the listener’s attention with every new revelation. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance Publishing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Guy Smith evokes the Arthurian legends of old in Lev Grossman’s tongue-in-cheek Knights of the Round Table-inspired novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss a story of Collum, who dreams of joining King Arthur’s knights, but when he arrives in Camelot, King Arthur is dead. Smith shines in this grand, ambitious novel, especially as he performs the dialogue of the various knights. Full of humor, magic, and endless quests, this story is perfect for any lover of King Arthur tales. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher P. Brown performs Jonathan Corcoran’s intimate memoir of his relationship with his mother after she discovers he’s gay. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this moving listen. Corcoran’s mother dies during the first years of the Covid pandemic, leaving him and his two sisters to handle her affairs. From there, Corcoran takes listeners back through their complex relationship, sharing how his mother’s homophobia has followed him his entire life. Brown beautifully performs both the tense and heartfelt moments and deftly handles the West Virginia accents of Corcoran’s family, making each character unique. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramiz Monsef performs Taylor Brown’s historical novel set during the Battle of Blair Mountain in the early 1920s. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this listen that will keep listeners on edge until the very last second. Lebanese American “Doc Moo” Muhanna serves as a medical doctor during the Mine Wars. Monsef’s narration enlivens the characters as they give listeners various perspectives on these historical events. Monsef skillfully performs many different accents, and maintains the tension as the action of the novel picks up. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Vance affably narrates George Smiley in this first novel by John le Carré, published in 1961. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the thrill of listening to Vance narrate this classic mystery and Smiley’s origin story. It centers around a faux suicide, East German espionage agents, and a Secret Service that prefers to sweep things under the rug. Vance’s mastery of British Isles accents, especially his upper-class inflections, contributes to le Carré's vivid storytelling. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/251210/ Published by Dreamscape. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/ Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Davis digs deep into his narration toolbox in Joseph Kanon’s atmospheric audiobook set in 1939. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this tense listen. As the world prepares for war, displaced European Jews attempt a departure to parts unknown. Davis employs a stoic tone when describing Kristallnacht, the beatings, and the rounding up of family members. When the disparate citizens gather on a last-chance trip to Shanghai, Davis modulates the tempo and emotion throughout the remainder of the audiobook, ratcheting up the anticipation for the protagonist’s final confrontation with the Japanese Gestapo. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies brings his considerable talent to one of Graham Greene’s best-known novels. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the story of how James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner retailer, invents a spy ring in order to cover his daughter’s extravagances. Davies manipulates accents, vocal tones, and pitch ranges to bring the characters to life. He enhances the novel’s dark (sometimes very dark) humor, as well. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Susan Elia MacNeal’s 12th and final Maggie Hope novel. Susan Duerden gives a strong performance as the intrepid heroine takes on a frightening mission, meeting up again with Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer and Nazi collaborator. British concerns about the Germans acquiring a fission bomb lead Maggie to Madrid, where danger lurks around every corner and double agents will stop at nothing to thwart Allied efforts. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile Golden Voice Soneela Nankani immerses listeners in 1920s India. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this third installment in Harini Nagendra’s Bangalore Detectives Club series that’s rife with intrigue, politics, and the fight for autonomy. Nankani’s brisk, distinctly voiced performance is riveting as she expertly distinguishes among the large cast of characters, and she’s particularly effective as Kaveri Murthy, mathematician, feminist, and intrepid organizer of the amateur detectives club. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Tantor Media. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at Brilliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Huda Fahmy’s hilarious graphic novel for teens will delight listeners. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun of listening to this lively audio adaptation. Huda’s having a bit of an identity crisis. Her family’s just moved from a small town to Dearborn, Michigan, and suddenly her personality can’t just be “the hijabi girl” because she’s not the only one. Fahmy’s wry narration perfectly captures the many ups and downs of freshman year. A full cast of narrators, music, and sound effects help tell Huda’s story as she bounces around between cliques, bickers with her sisters, makes new friends, faces down bullies and Islamophobes, and survives a raucous year of high school. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at brilliancepublishing.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this dramatic Japanese thriller from Akira Otani. Cindy Kay’s steely voice ensures the listener feels every bit of tension in this short and memorable audiobook. After Yoriko Shindo is kidnapped, she finds herself forced into working for an arm of the yakuza—she has to serve as the driver for Shoko, the daughter of the brutal boss. It’s a violent, disturbing world that Shindo is pulled into, but she’s unusually tough, and listeners hear her taunt her attackers as she fights back. Slowly, Shindo and Shoko form a sort of friendship, putting them both at risk. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at brilliancepublishing.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ros Watt’s narration highlights all the charm of Joanna Lowell’s queer historical romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss a story set in Cornwall’s countryside, complete with a bicycle race, a botanist, and a rake. Kit Griffith is a dashing bicycle shop owner who left his old life behind, in which he belonged to a sisterhood of women artists. He’s now building a new life in Cornwall, where he encounters the indefatigable botanist, Muriel Pendrake. Watt conveys the lively conversations with their rounded British accent, shifting smoothly between Muriel’s bright voice and Kit’s deeper pitch. Watt’s warm voice captures the adventure and blossoming romance as Kit and Muriel cycle the coastline together. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicol Zanzarella brings heaps of charm to her narration of this engaging fantasy romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the sequel to Megan Bannen’s THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY. Twyla and Frank have been neighbors, then best friends, then partners in the Marshals, spending 8 years patrolling the dangerous Tanrian world together. But they’re never going to be more than friends—right? Zanzarella performs Twyla’s wonderful blend of boldness and grandmotherly sweetness, while Frank has a rumbly, deep voice and an appealing twangy drawl in Zanzarella’s performance. Zanzarella’s narration is utterly delightful, as is the story, complete with an intriguing mystery, a fascinating fantasy world, and a heartwarming, slow-burn romance. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss how narrator André Santana skillfully performs Chuck Tingle’s thrilling Hollywood horror novel. Screenwriter Misha Byrne has just received an ultimatum from the studio executives — their algorithm says to kill off his beloved queer TV characters, or else. Misha refuses, and Santana captures Misha’s initial angry exasperation, then his escalating terror as he suddenly faces deadly characters from his horror films. Scripts of certain mysterious scenes are performed by a full cast of authors. It’s both a spine-tingling horror story and a moving exploration of queer identity, humanity, and storytelling. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Lucy Strange joins host Michele Cobb for a conversation about Lucy’s award-winning audiobooks, which she narrates herself. Listen to their conversation to hear more about how Lucy’s background in acting and teaching influences her approach to storytelling, her experiences with narrating her own audiobooks and those by other authors, and what challenges and surprises her most about narrating. Her 2023 audiobook SISTERS OF THE LOST MARSH was an Earphones Award winner as well as a 2024 Odyssey Honor Audiobook, and it is a memorable listen. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Scholastic Audiobooks. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is sponsored by Scholastic Audiobooks. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Ally Condie’s engaging mystery that’s just right for summer listening. Christine Lakin captures Ellery Wainwright’s unsteady state of mind so effectively that the tension in this mystery builds exponentially. Ellery finds herself alone at an exotic Big Sur resort after her husband leaves her. As she struggles through her major life change, she finds herself embroiled in a possible murder. Condie’s audiobook transports listeners to the perfect summer locale with exquisite twists. Throughout, Lakin’s authentic performance is layered and vulnerable, making Ellery’s plight even more frightening. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andia Winslow narrates WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner’s memoir, which has a strong focus on her imprisonment in Russia. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Griner’s harrowing tale. Winslow’s delivery is outstanding; she recounts the fear and frustration that Griner went through and deftly projects Griner’s emotions every step of the way. Griner is open about the perceptions of her sexuality and deftly weaves in recollections of her upbringing. Coupled with its honest account of what happened in Russia, this memoir is a fascinating listen. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Griffin Dunne’s narration of his memoir pairs a tender conversational tone with occasional moments of drama that embrace his gifts as a writer and actor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this engrossing listen chronicling Dunne’s life within an interesting family, sparing no details. Whether he’s telling stories of privileged, Hollywood familiars, political well-knowns, family members, or famed relatives like writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion, each vignette commands attention. Dunne stitches stories into a powerful arc that compels from beginning to end. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/251186/ Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/ Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com/riftsandrefrains/ to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A talented cast of voice actors, including playwright Barrie Kreinik, dazzles in this audio original. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the story of Eva Le Gallienne, a queer actor and director who founded The Civic Repertory Theatre in 1926. Her work revolutionized theater, but she struggled to keep her creation going in the Depression. Kreinik is stunning as Eva, capturing her larger-than-life personality, while the remaining actors portray her various girlfriends, company actors, mentors, friends, and others. The production’s impeccable sound design brings 1930s New York to life. This is audio theater at its absolute best. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hachette Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darrell Dennis navigates this touching novel about a family in distress; it’s a gritty story about addiction, dementia, and obligations. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this debut novel from the author of the short story collection NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ. Charles Lamosway is a white man raised on Maine’s Penobscot reservation—an outsider. With the empathy created by Dennis, listeners will root for Charles as he deals with losing his mother and trying to connect with an estranged daughter. Talty’s debut novel is a virtuoso story of blood, heritage, beliefs, and the legacy of how we are indebted to others. Dennis’s youthful tone and empathy for these troubled characters make this listen triumphant and bittersweet. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grant Overstake’s audio drama details racial strife in Wichita, Kansas, in 1968. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the full cast and fine production values. A seventh-grade boy’s life becomes upended when a Black family moves in next door. The narrators of this fraught coming-of-age story are excellent. The audio drama has moments of remarkable verisimilitude: from the play-by-play announcing of a basketball game to the whirring of a helicopter in Vietnam. Performed by a gifted cast, this slice of our history stays with the listener. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Grant Overstake. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mozhan Navabi performs Marjan Kamali’s audiobook with the right tone and tempo. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how this audiobook evokes the contemporary history of Tehran and Iran, from the 1950s to 1970s. Navabi captures the guilt-ridden Ellie, who is tormented by her past. Ellie’s best friend Homa, voiced with a younger sound and tone by Nikki Massoud, is an Iranian revolutionary who champions women’s rights and is jailed for her beliefs. An immersive listen. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire Kilroy’s novel details a young mother’s fatigue, frustrations, and joys at raising a trying infant who becomes a willful toddler. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this dramatic monologue on motherhood and marriage, narrated with an intimate and persuasive tone and lovely Irish lilt by Simone Collins. Her performance resonates as her tone, pace, and intonation reveal the struggling mom’s love. This brief, powerful depiction of motherhood rings true and creates an immersive listening experience. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners will find much to learn in Nadina Galle’s audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss a study from the ecological engineer who coined the term Internet of Nature. Galle has a refreshingly positive and heretical assertion that nature and technology can be allied. Eileen Stevens earns high praise for her thoughtful, almost conspiratorial tone. It’s as if she’s saying, “Pay attention, and you’ll be surprised.” Burn bots, nature apps of all types, and cures for eco anxiety are just a few of the positive insights in this revelatory work. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden Voice narrator Robert Petkoff joins host Jo Reed to discuss his talented performances of hundreds of audiobooks, spanning a wide range of genres. Robert has brought to life everything from thrilling mysteries and science fiction epics to deeply researched nonfiction. He’s able to create distinct and memorable voices for each character, and he has a knack for engaging storytelling. Listen in to his conversation with Jo to hear more about how he got his start on the stage and behind the mic, how he prepares for narrating fiction like Andrew Sean Greer’s LESS IS LOST, the fun of narrating thrillers, and the distinct skills needed for making nonfiction engaging and conversational. Read reviews of Robert Petkoff’s audiobooks at our website. Visit AudioFile’s website for a full list of AudioFile’s Golden Voice narrators. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miranda July perfectly delivers the overanxious voice of her quirky, unnamed protagonist who realizes, too late, that she’s having a midlife crisis. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story of a solo drive across the country that turns into a bizarre stay in a motel close to home. That one decision sends the protagonist on a perimenopausal coming-of-age adventure full of awkward sex and complex feelings. July’s intimate narration teases out the complex emotions the protagonist is just now realizing she’s always kept under wraps. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earphones Award-winning narrator Natalie Naudus performs her debut young adult novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss how Naudus shines performing her own novel. Valerie Danners realizes two things almost at the same time: She’s probably bisexual, and she’s most definitely in a cult. Naudus’s performance captures Valerie’s teen voice, portraying the depth of emotion she feels as she meets a new crush and falls in love for the first time. Naudus creates increasing tension that emphasizes Valerie’s desperation to escape her hyper-religious community. As Valerie comes into her own, Naudus’s voice carries all the warmth and love that she’s experiencing for the very first time. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Little Mountain Media. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Fliakos and a full ensemble perform Paul Tremblay’s gripping story of movie making gone wrong. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester talk about this suspenseful listen. “The Thin Kid,” performed by Ari Fliakos, played a pivotal role in a never-released indie horror movie filmed in the ’90s. Now, he’s been asked to reprise his role in the remake. An ensemble of narrators performs the two versions of the screenplay, moving back and forth between the original version and the remake’s revised script. The cast of narrators creates an incredible listening experience, making HORROR MOVIE one of the must-listen horror audiobooks of the year. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden Voice narrator Marin Ireland performs Emma Copley Eisenberg’s debut novel, which features two queer artists. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this heartfelt and delightful audiobook. Housemates Bernie and Leah set off on a road trip to capture the heart of Pennsylvania in photographs and words. While they travel across the state, their relationship grows deeper as they try to make sense of the world around them through their art. Ireland makes Bernie and Leah come alive, and she excels at expressing their depth of emotion as they work through their ideas together. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss a charming children’s story about Olivetti, a typewriter spilling his tapestry of tales in order to find his missing owner. Golden Voice Simon Vance brings a gentle, snarky tone to Olivetti as he dismisses books as “one-hit wonders” and the laptop as a “show-off.” Ernest is an angsty 12-year-old portrayed expertly by Christopher Gebauer with an appealing mix of anxiety, heart, and wry humor. Ernest prefers dictionaries and solitude, but he must trust a sentient typewriter and make a friend to find his mother. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last of the Under Suspicion audiobooks, Golden Voice January LaVoy introduces listeners to the perfect family: Sara Richard Harrington and their twin sons. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this audiobook that begins with a flashback to the eve of the twins’ college graduation party. Before the party ends, Sara and Richard are shot to death, and the twins are suspects—but never charged. Now, Laurie Moran decides to investigate. This tightly plotted whodunit lends itself to LaVoy’s style and impeccable timing. Fans will not want to miss this last series installment and LaVoy’s stellar performance. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media and their exclusive audiobook, Rifts and Refrains. Dive into the compelling story of Amara Johnson, a talented musician uncovering her family's hidden past while finding love and legacy in Nashville. To start listening, visit Dreamscape Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten say goodbye to Maisie Dobbs after 18 of Jacqueline Winspear’s mystery novels, narrated beautifully by Orlagh Cassidy. Listeners will appreciate the tender way the characters’ closing stories are treated. Cassidy's use of accents lends credibility to Winspear’s fully developed characters and well-researched plot. In 1945 London, Maisie discovers four adolescents and a desperately sick soldier squatting in a vacant mansion. While solving a possible murder occupies Maisie, she is truly driven by caring for the needy. Cassidy once again provides listeners with the rich tapestry that Winspear has woven through the series. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Recorded Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media and their exclusive audiobook, Rifts and Refrains. Dive into the compelling story of Amara Johnson, a talented musician uncovering her family's hidden past while finding love and legacy in Nashville. To start listening, visit Dreamscape Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an engrossing, well-characterized performance, Nicole Lewis captures the anguish and suspense in acclaimed YA author Nicola Yoon’s first adult novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this story of a fictional gated community of Liberty, California, hailed as a Black utopia. Jasmyn Williams assumes she and her husband, King, will find like-minded friends and neighbors with whom to carry on the fight for racial equality and justice. But something is strangely off in Liberty. Lewis is masterful at subtly distinguishing the voices of Liberty, using cadence, intonation, and vocal amplification to heighten the tension of this absorbing psychological suspense. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media, featuring their new audiobook Rifts and Refrains. Follow Amara Johnson's journey through music, mystery, and romance, available exclusively on Dreamscape First. Don't miss out on this captivating tale… please visit Dreamscape to learn more and start listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss an audiobook that explores the history and meaning of train travel. Canadian actor Jennifer Wigmore has a lovely narrating voice and a pleasing tone. She narrates in an informational yet personal style that fits this immersive and deeply researched meditation on the delights of watching the landscape flash by while reading, writing, or daydreaming in the cocoon of a rail car. Author Pamela Mulloy reveals much about the history of train travel, while also recounting her own long rides through Canada and Europe. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by ECW Press. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from Dreamscape Media and their exclusive audiobook, Rifts and Refrains. Dive into the compelling story of Amara Johnson, a talented musician uncovering her family's hidden past while finding love and legacy in Nashville. To start listening, visit Dreamscape Publishing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners will be drawn into KJ Charles’s atmospheric and compelling historical mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this story of friendship—and betrayal. In 1895, Oxford University student Toby is murdered—and his close friends know that one of them must have done it. Ten years later, Jem sets out to solve the mystery that ruined his life once and for all. As the story moves back and forth in time, narrator Tom Lawrence effectively differentiates Jem’s less rarified accent and those of his wealthy, upper-crust peers. Lawrence also conveys Jem’s growing desperation as the further his investigation goes, the more secrets are revealed and the more danger Jem finds himself in. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Storm Publishing. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrators Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Evan Sibley are a winning team in this charming romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Sarah T. Dubb’s story that’s a perfect mix of birding and falling in love. Mom and teacher Celeste is trying to find herself again after a divorce; John is a woodworker and amateur birder. Celeste is a complete newbie to birding, but she agrees to be John’s partner in the 42-day Bird Binge competition—and to pose as his girlfriend. Hutchinson-Shaw ably conveys Celeste’s bubbly, positive personality, while Sibley captures John’s shy outward demeanor and thoughtful inner world. Attraction sparks as John and Celeste add birds to their list in the beautifully described Arizona wilderness. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss how Judy Alice Lee narrates this action-packed space opera with skill. Ocean is a talented pilot and wicked shot working for the Korean space agency on the OHNEUL. Her best friend Teo’s ease and flirtatiousness shine through in Lee’s narration, shifting into desperation when his ship comes under attack. Haven is an outsider when he joins up on the OHNEUL’s crew, and Lee’s quiet voice reflects his thoughtful, cautious nature. Lee brings warmth to scenes of tentative romance, shipboard camaraderie, and many delicious meals. And when raiders attack, Lee ramps up the pace, making listeners feel all of the tension. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Hillman Grad Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vico Ortiz narrates a raucous space adventure rom-com with infectious energy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun and thrills of this lively story. It’s 2061, and Cleo and her three best friends—all scientists—sneak aboard to explore the neglected rocket PROVIDENCE I. Twenty years earlier, it failed to launch and its 203-person crew mysteriously vanished. But when Cleo inadvertently starts the dark matter engine, they’re launched into a seven-year mission with only Billie, the prickly holographic computer, to guide them. Ortiz’s considerable acting talents bring each character—human and otherwise—to life. They bounce between each voice with skill, making this lively story of friendship, queer romance, and interdimensional danger heaps of fun on audio. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Meridian’s clans are at war, and alliances are shifting dangerously in this dramatic conclusion to Rebecca Roanhorse’s trilogy, brought to life by an ensemble cast. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss how the narrators’ skilled performances slowly reveal the many entangled storylines. Shaun Taylor-Corbett skillfully portrays Serapio as he navigates prophecies and plots against him. Nicole Lewis voices Xiala, whose determination and desperation are palpable as she protects her island home. Naranpa, portrayed by Cara Gee, is exploring the dreaming world with dangerous consequences. Christian Barillas brings drama to the character of Lord Balam, who wields deadly shadow magic in his quest for power. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden Voice narrator Kate Reading joins host Jo Reed to discuss her career in audiobook narration. Her experience with audiobooks began with her first job at the Library of Congress’s Talking Books program, which gave her an education in audiobook narration. In their conversation, they discuss her process of narrating audiobooks, particularly the importance of embodying both characters and narrative prose, and also explore how her theater background informs her narration. They also discuss her frequent audiobook partnerships with her husband, Michael Kramer, in series like “The Wheel of Time” and “The Stormlight Archive,” and the work that goes into performing long-running series like “Lady Sherlock.” Read reviews of Kate Reading’s audiobooks at our website. Visit AudioFile’s website for a full list of AudioFile’s Golden Voice narrators. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happily, another of John McPhee’s classics has been brought to life with this finely narrated audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Golden Voice narrator Edoardo Ballerini performs the work with care for the author’s eloquent descriptions of Deerfield, Massachusetts, as it evolves over the twentieth century—as does its legendary headmaster, Frank L. Boyden, who took over the school in 1902 and stayed in charge for 66 years. McPhee called this work a portrait, and he paints the picture of an elite prep school with an unusually empathetic leader. It’s the story of a man, a school, and a community. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan Minskoff tells host Jo Reed that what makes Golden Voice Dominic Hoffman such a fine narrator is the clarity of his delivery and his vocal agility. He sounds like he is inside Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s, brilliant mind, and he moves adroitly from the author’s knowing perspective to “signifying” in the style of African American folklore. Through this work, subtitled “Writing the Race,” historian, filmmaker, and PBS host Gates gives the listener a distinct frame through which to view African American history. This fine audiobook adds to the Harvard historian’s exceptional body of work. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden Voice Robin Miles and Moe Egan do fine work narrating Linda Gartz’s revealing memoir of Chicago’s West Garfield Park and the author’s life, family, and experiences with race relations—especially during the 1960s. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this story of family and policy. Egan voices the author and her timbre, tone, and style are just right. The supremely talented Miles narrates the many African American voices and does them very well. This is mostly a family story of striving German Americans who stay in Garfield Park despite urban blight, which is enabled by the federal redlining policies that were crafted to harm housing opportunities for Black Americans. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by She Writes Press. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A star-studded cast masterfully performs Ann Napolitano’s debut novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this stellar audiobook that tells the story of generations of an Irish American family. It’s hard to limit praise to just a few of the half-dozen sparkling narrations. But Brittany Pressley as Gracie, the lost-soul writer who works as a kind of “Dear Abby,” gives an empathetic and knowing reading; Marin Ireland captures the laconic tone of Gracie’s brilliant sister, Lila; and Cassandra Campbell admirably delivers the tightly wound personality and conflicted soul of their mother, Kelly. A finely crafted story. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s bonus episode, AudioFile’s Michele Cobb spoke with author Maia Kobabe and audiobook producer Nick Martorelli from Penguin Random House. It’s a special conversation about GENDER QUEER, Kobabe’s award-winning graphic memoir, and how they adapted it into a full cast audiobook production. GENDER QUEER is Kobabe’s very personal story about gender identity, and it makes for an excellent audiobook. Listen to hear more about Kobabe’s personal relationship with audiobooks, how e and Nick worked together to adapt the graphic memoir into a script, and what it was like for Kobabe to narrate eir own work. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Listening Library. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is sponsored by Listening Library. Support for AudioFile’s Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices