Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Mara Wilson offers an admirable performance in Armistead Maupin’s tenth book in the Tales of the City series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this lively murder mystery that revives Maupin’s series well known from its PBS and Netflix adaptations. Mona Ramsey hosts American tourists Rhonda and Ernie Blaylock at her grand country home in the English countryside. Midsummer festivities approach, and dangerous secrets are discovered. Wilson builds snappy dialogue skillfully, and listeners will enjoy spending time at the manor. 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

In this memoir of the unexpected death of her son, Fi, Alexandra Fuller pulls off quite a feat by simultaneously filling her voice with both life and loss. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Fuller’s impressive narration, which has warmth and bite at the appropriate moments. Fuller grew up in Zimbabwe, and her rich, warm voice contains appealing traces of that accent. Fi died at 21 despite having no real health problems, and grief and incomprehension are clear in every word Fuller utters. 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 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 Nicholas Boulton delights in Isabel Allende’s short story of passionate lovers. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss listening to this audiobook about a runaway bride who wakes up in Spain’s Guggenheim Museum wearing her wedding dress, in the arms of a stranger. The story is told from the perspective of a detective who is determined to charge the lovers with a crime following their torrid night of lovemaking in the museum. Boulton speaks brusquely as Detective Larramendi separately interviews the couple, who both offer the same explanation. Despite his crusty nature, Detective Larramendi cannot help being captivated by the magically implausible story that the lovers tell. Neither will listeners. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance 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

Eileen Stevens’s openhearted performance will warm listeners to the core and inspire a sense of true goodness in the world. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Monica Wood’s newest audiobook, which tells a story of second chances. Violet Powell is determined to make the most of her time now that she’s out of prison and building a new life in Portland, Maine. She vows she won’t be the sum of her worst act—killing a woman while driving drunk. She finds two unexpected allies in Harriet, the volunteer book club moderator at the prison, and Frank, the elderly widower of the woman Violet killed. As chapters alternate between Violet, Harriet, and Frank, Stevens adopts subtle shifts in tone and emphasis that reveal the core values and uncertainties of each character. 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

Dominic Hoffman joins host Jo Reed to tell listeners about his career in acting and in audiobook narration and being named a 2024 Golden Voice narrator. Dominic tells Jo about how his experience on stage informs his audiobook narration, and the unique challenges of serving both the author’s intent and the audience’s listening experience. They discuss his narrations of James McBride’s audiobooks, including THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE, which he says was “as fun as it was challenging,” with its many accents and its nuanced story. Dominic explains his initial reluctance to narrate JAMES, by Percival Everett, and his appreciation of the new perspective that the book offered. Read reviews of Dominic Hoffman’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

Today AudioFile Magazine is celebrating Robert Petkoff as a 2024 Golden Voice narrator. Listen to host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten as they discuss Robert’s history in audiobook narration, his particular talents as a narrator, and Robert’s performances that they love to recommend. Essential listening: BAD CITY by Paul Pringle, read by Robert Petkoff BEING MORTAL by Atul Gawande, read by Robert Petkoff FIRE ON THE LEVEE by Jared Fishman, Joseph Hooper, read by Robert Petkoff LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer, read by Robert Petkoff THE TIMES by Adam Nagourney, read by Robert Petkoff Visit AudioFile’s website for more on Robert Petkoff, and 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

We’re celebrating Golden Voice narrators all this week, and today we’re thrilled to honor Kate Reading as a 2024 Golden Voice. Listen to Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discussing Kate’s many talents in the narrator booth, what favorite audiobooks of hers they recommend exploring, and what makes her a Golden Voice. Essential listening: A MEMORY OF LIGHT by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, read by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading DEATH AND THE MAIDEN by Ariel Dorfman, read by John Kapelos, John Mahoney, Carolyn Seymour, Kristoffer Tabori THE ART OF THEFT by Sherry Thomas, read by Kate Reading THE SOUVENIR MUSEUM by Elizabeth McCracken, read by Kate Reading RHYTHM OF WAR by Brandon Sanderson, read by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading Visit AudioFile’s website for more on Kate Reading, and 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

AudioFile Magazine is proud to announce Dominic Hoffman as a 2024 Golden Voice narrator. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Dominic’s many talents, including his skill with bringing characters and stories to life for audiobook listeners. Listen to hear more about what makes Dominic a Golden Voice, his many accolades, and more. Essential listening: DEACON KING KONG by James McBride, read by Dominic Hoffman JAMES by Percival Everett, read by Dominic Hoffman I CAN'T BREATHE by Matt Taibbi, read by Dominic Hoffman THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride, read by Dominic Hoffman THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GREY by Walter Mosley, read by Dominic Hoffman Visit AudioFile’s website for more on Dominic Hoffman, and 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

AudioFile Magazine’s Golden Voice narrators are the stars of the audiobook universe. Today host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten are announcing the new Golden Voice honorees for 2024: Dominic Hoffman, Kate Reading, and Robert Petkoff. AudioFile Magazine has bestowed the Golden Voice honor on 50 audiobook narrators; it’s an accolade that honors those who have made significant contributions to the audiobook art form. We’re celebrating the iconic skills these narrators bring to their performances, and listeners can be assured that when they pick up an audiobook narrated by any of the Golden Voices, they will have an exceptional listening experience. Robin and Jo will be honoring each of the new Golden Voices in turn this week, and we’ll have full interviews with each of the new Golden Voices this month, starting with Dominic Hoffman’s on June 7 — be sure to follow our podcast so you don’t miss it! 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

Dominic Hoffman narrates this reimagining of ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, but this time Jim tells his own story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this inventive story. When Jim learns he’s going to be sold to someone downriver, he flees, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Hoffman’s performance captures the varying tone of Jim’s dialogue, highlighting the shifts in his vocabulary and rhythm. With its subtlety and attention to detail, Hoffman’s narration reinforces Jim’s character and narrative arcs as Jim takes back his agency in life. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erin Moon performs this debut novel set in the 1990s against the backdrop of the California redwoods. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story of the Red Grove, a safe haven for women seeking refuge from patriarchal violence. Luce lives in the Red Grove with her mother, Gloria, and her little brother, Roo. When Gloria disappears, Luce is determined to find her and accidentally uncovers the Red Grove’s secret history. Moon maintains the tension in her voice throughout the audiobook, adding to the suspense of this twisty novel. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Brilliance Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ami Park, with additional narration from Sue Jean Kim, performs this engrossing novel from one of America’s rising literary stars. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story of a photographer trying to make it as an artist in San Francisco. When she meets ballet dancer Lidija Jung, her entire world changes forever. Park’s performance keeps listeners on edge as we wonder what will become of this all-consuming affair. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lyle Blaker evokes the Appalachia of mid–twentieth century America in this short story collection by national treasure Wendell Berry. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss these stories centered around the residents of the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. Blaker makes the snapshots of the characters’ experiences feel alive in a new way. The way he performs the dialogue creates a unique voice for each character, and his performance of the descriptions of the landscape causes readers to feel like they are right there in the story. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by ChristianAudio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s voice is warm and inviting as she performs her essay collection celebrating all things food. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this intriguing follow-up to WORLD OF WONDERS. In each work, the author, who is Filipina and Malayali Indian, centers her thoughts on one of her favorite foods, giving listeners glimpses of her life. Nezhukumatathil’s narration is filled with such joyful enthusiasm for each food. Lychee, mango, jackfruit, rice, vanilla, waffles—all hold a special place in her heart. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rosa Escoda’s narration of this slice-of-life audiobook is cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket still warm from the dryer. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Hwang Bo-reum’s story, translated by Shanna Tan, of a woman and her bookshop. Frustrated by her indifferent marriage and burned-out by her competitive career, Yeongju leaves both behind to open a bookstore that becomes a refuge to those seeking peace and renewal. Escoda’s brisk pace and gentle tone carry listeners along as Yeongju reconciles her childhood dream of owning a bookshop with the business of attracting and keeping customers. Escoda subtly calibrates her performance to make this story’s dreamlike mood irresistible. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmen Rose narrates John Wiswell’s sapphic horror/romance with a sardonic wit that makes for an immersive listening experience. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this delightfully weird fantasy audiobook and Rose’s skilled narration. Shesheshen is a shape-shifting monster who, weary of devouring an endless line of hunters seeking to eradicate her kind, constructs a makeshift human body and infiltrates the human world. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Homily, a kindly human woman who is haunted by a family curse. Rose brings each character's traits to life—from Shesheshen's deadpan humor to Homily's earnest compassion—and performs fight scenes with a liveliness that transports listeners into the battles. 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. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s bonus edition of Behind the Mic, host Jo Reed is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Naxos AudioBooks with narrators David Timson and Rupert Degas. Naxos has been publishing their audiobooks with a focus on classic literature and classical music since 1994. Hear more about the extraordinary history of Naxos from narrators who have been with the publisher for decades. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the start of the publisher, favorite productions Timson and Degas have worked on, and their thoughts on some of the many talented actors recording audiobooks for Naxos, and the many people behind the scenes directing and producing them. Read more about Naxos AudioBooks and their 30th anniversary in our article. Today’s bonus episode is sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks. For more information on Naxos and their audiobook productions, visit their website: naxosaudiobooks.com/ Discover thousands of audiobook reviews at AudioFile’s website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adjoa Andoh narrates a short story collection of speculative fiction by Ann Leckie. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this collection that includes works in the worlds of the Imperial Radch and the Raven Tower, as well as stand-alone pieces. Andoh’s stellar skills are on display in every piece, making the stories of gods, humans, and other assorted beings incredibly compelling. A stunning performance by a master narrator. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zoë Chao and Noah Reid bring a delightful goofiness to this time-travel romance. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the fun and talent that goes into Cara Bastone’s latest full-cast romance. Five years ago, June stumbled into a wormhole, falling decades into the future. When her ancient phone turns on and lets her make a call, she finds Mikey, her bewildered colleague from the past, on the other end. Chao sounds thrilled—and desperate—as June urges Mikey to keep past-June out of that wormhole. Reid gives Mikey warmth and openness as he connects with June in both timelines. As the stakes rise, listeners hear the pair’s growing urgency. You won’t want to put this one down. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Audible, Inc. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Jonny Garza Villa’s dynamic audiobook and Ruiz’s skilled narration. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza. But now he’s at a new school in San Antonio, and his new school already has a lead singer—Rey, the cute boy he met last year. Rafie’s intensity comes through clearly in Ruiz’s passionate narration. Ruiz yells, cries, whispers, laughs, and sings, revealing all the many layers to Rafie and Rey’s story. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Raboteau reads with purpose, a clear voice, and a conversational tone that works well for the personal essays on “Mothering Against ‘the Apocalypse’” in this satisfying audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Raboteau moves her prose and delivery between her varied subjects; a sense of wonder at identifying birds, exasperation at dealing with New York City real estate, and empathy for a water-starved Palestinian family. The lessons in this text are hard earned and elegantly expressed. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Rey Perez has just the right tone for this satirical debut novel, especially as he aptly mimics the protagonist’s self-justifying voice and truth twisting. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Perez’s pace moves the story forward—no matter the circumstance. Javi Perez succeeds until he doesn’t by playing the victim “trifecta”: tragic circumstance (his drug-dealer father is gunned down); struggling economics; and being a person of color. This first-person novel about his rise and fall is compelling, and Anthony Rey Perez’s excellent narration makes it a memorable audiobook. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deepa Samuel reads crisply and does well with the various languages in this globe-spanning audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minksoff discuss how her carefully articulated style makes this history/memoir with travel stories vivid. The author, a Muslim Indian woman now living in Brooklyn, brings a unique point of view to this “irreverent history of travel.” As a woman of color, she has experienced what she describes as distinctly inferior treatment as compared to her white-skinned husband. She argues we are no longer travelers but, rather, tourists with iPhone cameras. 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. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Nicholas Kristof delivers his monumental memoir—by turns harrowing (think gunfire, rats, Darfur) and inspiring (he mentors young journalists, starts a nonprofit, and champions rural America). Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Kristof’s thoughtful narration as he covers his long and distinguished career. He’s worked four decades as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and, indelibly, an opinion writer for THE NEW YORK TIMES. A compelling and satisfying audiobook. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alma Cuervo’s warm, rich timbre and measured style suit Julia Alvarez’s captivating audiobook. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this story of an author with a magical twist. A novelist leaves Vermont and returns to her native Dominican Republic to bury her untold (unfinished) works. She creates a cemetery for the stories, and their imaginary characters take over. Alvarez has crafted a fantastical world, packed with local color and expressions, and Cuervo ensures that it’s enjoyable on audio. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrating his own work, Salman Rushdie offers an emotionally resonant account of the shocking knife attack that almost ended his life. Host Jo Reed and AudioFIle’s Michele Cobb discuss his memoir of the attack, its immediate aftermath, and the difficult recovery. Interwoven throughout are musings on literature, writing, politics, friendship, religion, and more, delivered with passion and more than a little humor. Wide-ranging and deeply insightful, this meditation on life, love, and resilience makes for compelling listening. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Lin’s performance of her memoir is so staggeringly beautiful it will break your heart. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss Lin’s story of loss. Lin’s husband Kurtis was running a virtual half-marathon when he dropped dead for no discoverable reason. He was 32 years old. She was left absolutely broken. She tells her memoir in vignettes of meeting and losing Kurtis, and her grief is so obviously raw and her memories of their life together so full of love that it’s astonishing the author was physically and emotionally able to read the work aloud. Lin teaches us, or reminds us, that sitting with someone in their sadness is far more helpful than a futile attempt to distract someone from their grief. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Zibby Books. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Kara Swisher specializes in reporting on the Internet, and she narrates her memoir with urgency and focus. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this history of Silicon Valley from Swisher’s perspective. With more than a decade of podcasting experience, Swisher has developed a well-honed, rapid-fire delivery; an aura of journalistic integrity; and a firsthand knowledge of tech history. Swisher serves as the Valley's outlier conscience—fearful of the future and optimistically pessimistic. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Entertainer Whoopi Goldberg’s raspy timbre and amused tone make her the only person appropriate to narrate her memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss what Michele calls an “audio must.” The story of Goldberg’s career is skillfully woven into anecdotes featuring her exceptional mother, Emma Johnson, and her unique older brother, Clyde. All will remain in listeners’ thoughts after hearing this singular memoir and performance. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website, and hear from Whoopi herself in her video interview with Michele. Published by Blackstone Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for AudioFile’s Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrating her memoir, Sloane Crosley delivers ironic humor that balances the horror of back-to-back traumas. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the bite that Crosley brings to her memoir. Admitting the unlikelihood and disorientation of what happened, Crosley links the vulnerability she felt at a burgled apartment and, a month later, at the suicide of her boss and friend, Russell Perrault. Crosley’s wit and sometimes witlessness are as reconcilable and relatable as her raw reactions and wishful imaginings. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hanako Footman performs this quiet novel featuring Koishi and her father, Nagare. They run the Kamogawa Diner, a small restaurant on a side road in Kyoto. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss Hisashi Kashiwai’s story of food and connections. Koishi and Nagare help customers find lost meals from their past, researching down to the most minute details. Footman’s narration captures the story’s cozy atmosphere and nostalgic tone as Nagare and Koishi track down each customer’s unique meal. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eunice Wong performs Lisa Ko’s novel about a decades-long friendship between three Asian American women. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss what Kendra calls one of the must-listens of the year. Giselle Chin, Chackie Ong, and Ellen Ng come of age in the ’80s and ’90s, trying to make their way in the world. Wong’s performance captures the friends’ perspectives, giving each a unique narrative voice. In Wong’s narration, one friend sounds brusque and efficient, while another’s voice is laid-back and easygoing. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Cross performs Garrard Conley’s debut novel of a star-crossed love affair. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this beautifully devastating story of love between minister Nathaniel Whitfield and physician Arthur Lyman in Puritan New England. Cross’s narration captures the intense relationship between the two men; he performs their dialogue with deep emotion. As the two men’s families begin to suspect their secret, Cross imbues his performance with tension, communicating both families’ anxiety and feelings of helplessness. 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 Sound Reviews comes from Hachette Audio, and the audiobook edition of RELENTLESS by Luis A Miranda Jr, featuring a foreword read by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. To find out more about this, and any other Hachette Audio productions, please visit www.hachetteaudio.com, or @HachetteAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Morgan Parker, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, performs her collection of essays that revolve around religious trauma, mental health, racial justice, and life as a single person in America. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this intimate collection. Parker’s performance expresses her complex feelings, giving her ideas additional emotional weight. A beautiful example of the magic that can happen when an author personally performs her essays. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Grasl performs Ned Blackhawk’s National Book Award-winning history of the Native peoples of what is now known as the United States. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this sweeping work that illuminates the histories of Indigenous peoples, from contact with early conquistadors of New Spain to the Indigenous activists of the mid-twentieth century. A must-listen for any history lover. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shaun Taylor-Corbett seamlessly narrates the majority of this haunted novel with a masterful assist by Charley Flyte. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss a magical addition to Cynthia Leitich Smith’s young adult novels. Hughie Wolfe, an avid actor, is asked to volunteer at a Halloween haunted house near the crossroads of his small Kansas town. Hughie and a group of friends have begun to learn of odd happenings and intimidating ghostly presences at the crossroads, and they start investigating to find the truth. On Halloween the haunted house and the spirits of the past collide. Hughie’s thoughtful nature shines through in Taylor-Corbett’s narration, and Flyte’s ethereal voice shines at the story’s dramatic climax. Be sure to listen to Jo Reed’s conversation with Cynthia Leitich Smith and Shaun Taylor-Corbett on our bonus edition of Behind the Mic. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maya Saroya gives an expressive performance in Hafsah Faizal’s thrilling YA historical fantasy filled with vampires, action, romance, and tea. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this compelling story set in a richly built world packed with secrets—performed beautifully. Saroya portrays Arthie Casimir in a smooth, deadly tone that highlights her fierce determination to protect those she loves. Arthie’s an outsider in Etenia, but she’s created a safe haven in her tearoom, Spindrift, where her crew serves tea by day and blood to vampires under the cover of night. Saroya moves easily into the points of view of Jin, Arthie’s charming yet deadly brother, and Flick, a forger whose voice reveals her upper-crust background. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hanif Abdurraqib’s latest book is a transcendent feat of poetry, memoir, and—well, magic. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Abdurraqib’s mesmerizing narration and rich writing. His narration is as breathless and beautiful as his prose, and you can hear the love in his voice as he performs it. It’s an ode to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio; a love letter to basketball; a meditation on home and belonging; and an exploration of faith, Blackness, music, and place. He delivers every word as if it is a matter of life and death. A masterpiece from one of America’s most creative, generous, and rigorous living writers. Don’t miss it. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Whelan performs Emily Henry’s funny story, much like a Shakespearean comedy is a funny story, of a woman who falls in love with her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the joy of getting to hear another excellent Emily Henry and Julia Whelan audiobook pairing. When Daphne’s fiance, Peter, realizes he’s in love with his formerly platonic best friend, Petra, just days before their wedding, Daphne’s world falls apart. Desperate for a place to live, she moves in with Petra’s also devastated ex, Miles. The two start a tentative friendship and Daphne finds that there is much to love in this small town—including Miles. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrators Natalie Beran and Jackson Bliss portray queer Russian-Maori siblings Greta and Valdin in this wise, hilarious novel about a loving and chaotic New Zealand family. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Rebecca K. Reilly’s novel, now released in the U.S. Beran depicts Greta, a 20-something PhD student in a perky, wry tone that is dripping with millennial angst. Bliss narrates Valdin’s sections with a mix of earnestness and detachment. A year after being dumped by his boyfriend, he’s just (maybe) starting to get his life back on track. The narrators’ varied New Zealand accents and ease with snappy dialogue make every moment of this joyful audiobook a pleasure. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss a celebrated YA novel that is featured in AudioFile’s new Audiobook Club. Narrator Jesse Nobess establishes a determined voice for high school sophomore Tre Brun. After losing his older brother who was a star on their high school basketball team, he finds his own passion for the game. Nobess captures Tre’s emotions as he pushes himself to reach his maximum potential on the court, where he feels pressure to succeed not only for himself, but also for his family and his Ojibwe community. Stay tuned for more information about AudioFile’s new audiobook club this summer. Listeners, especially sports enthusiasts, will cheer Tre on through the tumultuous and unforgettable basketball season. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Dion Graham, with his ability to tap into a wide variety of voices, is the right pick for Ace Atkins’s blues-heavy novel first published in 1998. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Dion’s skill at voicing this blues-infused noir mystery. Nick Travers is a former pro football player turned blues historian at Tulane University in Louisiana. He’s sent to find a missing music professor, and the mission gets messy. Graham’s stellar narration helps listeners keep the many characters straight, going beyond different voices and pacing to vary entire dialects. A first-rate performance by a first-rate narrator. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The privileged world of the spirited Isabella Stewart Gardner is aptly captured by the patrician voice of narrator Maggi-Meg Reed. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this fascinating biography by Natalie Dykstra. Reed’s careful pacing and expression elicit genuine admiration for the eccentric and sometimes scandalous Isabella. Gardner leaves as her legacy the Fenway Court building, now the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, famous for its interior Venetian palazzo, eclectic collections, and of course, the still unsolved art heist. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roger Clark gives a thrilling performance of Tana French’s newest novel set in a ferociously insular Irish village. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this sequel to THE SEARCHER, continuing the story of Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago police detective in a town that makes its own law. Clark’s Irish dialogue is so rich and musical it’s addictive, but his American voice for Hooper is flawless as well, and his pacing, attention, and sympathy do splendid justice to this riveting story. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An inspiring original story gets a five-star narration from Lynnette R. Freeman. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s Civil War-era novel shines with Freeman’s narration. Sanite and her daughter, Ady, run from the brutality of John du Marche’s slave labor camp—also known as a plantation. Separated when Sanite is recaptured, Ady endures hardship alone in the woods until she’s eventually befriended by a free woman who runs a secret organization called “The Daughters.” Freeman delivers the tension, relief, dangers, and hope felt by these remarkable women. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Edoardo Ballerini’s narration of Amor Towles’s newest short story collection. By turns nuanced and dramatic, Golden Voice Ballerini uses his full range of techniques always in service of the author’s fine prose. His smart pace and rich tone work particularly well for the noir novella set in late 1930s Hollywood. Ballerini shines in the opening work, “New York: The Line,” about an average Russian, named Pushkin, who has a gift for helping others with Russia’s long food lines. These stories have Towles’s touch: finely detailed characters, distinct settings, and deserved comeuppances. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dorje Swallow’s performance of Helen Oyeyemi’s metafiction centers this whirligig of a novel in which story begets story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how Swallow’s assured narration—in particular, his ability to do voices and accents and adapt his tone to whatever the scene—makes this audiobook marvelous to listen to. Hero Tojosoa ostensibly comes to Prague to join her friend, Sophie, for a weekend. When Dorothea arrives as well, the plot thickens, spatters, and all manner of mayhem ensues. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Goodson performs Vinson Cunningham’s coming-of-age novel in a conversational manner. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Goodson’s pleasing narrative style. His pensive tone works for the narrator and protagonist, David Hammons, the well-read but adrift young man who finds himself working as a fundraising assistant in the 2008 presidential election for the unnamed African American senator from Illinois. It’s a finely crafted story that includes smart and nuanced riffs on religion, money in politics, and life on the campaign trail. His observations create a timely 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlotta Brentan narrates this near-future dystopian novel set in a time of ecological disaster in the mostly underwater community of Island City. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Téa Obreht’s newest novel. Brentan portrays the cast of characters smartly by subtly shifting tone, cadence, and timbre. The once stately Morningside building is now home to “repopulated” folks who are part of a government program. Mysteries shroud this imaginative work. 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. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s bonus edition of Behind the Mic, host Jo Reed welcomes author Cynthia Leitich Smith and narrator Shaun Taylor-Corbett for a lively conversation about making memorable audiobooks for children and young adults. Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee citizen) is a highly acclaimed author for young readers and curator for Heartdrum, a Native American-focused imprint from HarperCollins. Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Blackfeet) is a frequent narrator of audiobooks from Heartdrum, including Cynthia’s most recent, HARVEST HOUSE. Listen in to hear Cynthia and Shaun talk about the audiobooks they’ve collaborated on and the importance of showing true representation of Native kids and teens in books and audiobooks. Read reviews of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s audiobooks at our website, where you can discover more audiobooks narrated by Shaun Taylor-Corbett as well. This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. Revisit beloved characters and discover new original short stories. Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any fan will enjoy. Audible.com/VisionsofFleshandBlood This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/AUDIOFILE and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices