Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this latest installment in Lev AC Rosen’s historical mystery series set in 1950s San Francisco, narrated by Vikas Adam. Evander Mills finally has a boyfriend, a safe apartment above a queer bar, and steady work as a PI. But a missing gay bookstore owner threatens the fragile peace of his life, and his closest friends. Adam’s narration is as pitch-perfect as ever, voicing Andy with a blend of gruff heroism and vulnerable longing that perfectly captures his complex character. A thoroughly engaging next chapter in the Evander Mills mystery series. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ferne Markes and Owen Hall make a perfect pair performing the electric chemistry between a kitchen witch and the charming man who catches her eye. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this delicious romance from Nadia El-Fassi that’s best enjoyed alongside a cup of chai. Ever since Scott Mason stumbled into Serendipity Cafe in London, he’s had the barista on his mind. Dina Whitlock was just as smitten and is startled to discover they’re both attendants in their best friends’ countryside wedding! Marks narrates with passion, performing Dina’s warring attraction and fear that an ex’s hex spells danger for Scott, while Hall conveys Scott’s intense longing for Dina. A cozy, bewitching romance. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helen Laser gives an extraordinary performance of Peng Shepherd’s inventive story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this interactive adventure story that takes listeners deep into the life of Marsh—and shows just how drastically things can change. When 40-year-old Marsh is selected to star in a reality TV show, she is given the opportunity to redo her life through "quantum bubble" technology. Listeners get to choose Marsh’s path, jumping through the story down many diverging paths. Laser shifts tone, timbre, and accents to portray a huge cast, including online commentators and the show’s bubbly host, Talia. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone who likes to cook will be inspired to get into the kitchen after listening to this audio program. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Deb Perelman’s audio companion to her newest cookbook, SMITTEN KITCHEN KEEPERS. Perelman is one of the original food bloggers and creator of the beloved Smitten Kitchen website, and listeners can hear her eagerness to share all she’s learned over the years. Her tips and reflections on selected recipes make for a relaxed, friendly listening experience. A perfect accompaniment for any kitchen endeavor that will have you cooking up delicious food in no time. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Isaacs is clearly having a rollicking good time narrating Kate Atkinson’s latest Jackson Brodie novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this audiobook jammed full of Agatha Christie tropes—butlers, vicars, nobles, retired veterans, and detectives all trapped in a great house in a snowstorm—but they’re all turned on their heads. Isaacs develops a myriad of distinct accents with hugely appealing dashes of winking amusement and heart. He builds both the drama and the absurdist humor to a laugh-out-loud crescendo. An uplifting and joyful audio escape for everyone. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This action-packed thriller from Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado is performed with skill by André Santana and Aida Reluzco. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this fast-paced, nonstop audiobook filled with twists, turns, and well-developed characters, good and evil. The seamless narration enhances the suspense, making this an engaging listen. Fans will eagerly await the next installment in this new series. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Jameson shines in this psychological thriller by Michael Robotham. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this story of Cyrus Haven, a forensic psychologist, and Evie Cormac, a troubled young woman in his care. Haven and Evie find themselves getting closer to solving the mystery of Evie’s past. Jameson brings everything to life with his animated narration, elevating the story with his vivid performance. Every character, major or minor, takes on a clear personality through Jameson’s inflections, tones, and accents. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jean Brassard, Louise Penny’s choice to narrate her 19th Three Pines novel, proves an inspired selection. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss how Brassard, a native Quebecois and an award-winning actor, gets each character right. Domestic terrorism takes Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy, and Isabelle from Montreal to the Vatican and to an isolated French monastery. Brasard’s accents—whether French Canadian, Italian, or continental French—create indelible characters, and his pacing and storytelling skills are stunningly good. Listen to find out what awaits Gamache in this latest memorable mystery. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Kristin Atherton brings us to the tiny South Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Francesca Segal’s story of a London vet who journeys to Tuga to study endangered tortoises, but finds out more about herself along the way. Atherton creates a delightfully engaging performance. She creates memorable voices for each character, adding depth and emotion to each, from the growling, grumpy Pastor to the new island doctor and the lovable community of Tuga that embrace her in surprising ways.  Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Bass delivers these essays—old and new—at a deliberate pace and a careful tempo. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss his voice and delivery, which sound kindly and literary. Reared in Texas, Bass retains a slight twang, and he is soulful, sincere, and aspirational. A fiction writer and essayist, he is also an environmental activist, and a number of these texts center on the horrific aftermath—asbestosis and mesothelioma—of the mining that took place near his adopted home in the Yak Valley of Montana. A memorable collection. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by HighBridge 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This delightful travel audiobook features commentary and an accompanying pdf of photos of unique, quirky, and splendid sites around the world that emulate renowned film director Wes Anderson’s visual style. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the fun of this listen. Seamus McMahon is a capable narrator, while Jeff Goldblum’s well-tuned variations in tone and pace make for particularly irresistible listening. Travelers, architecture buffs, and the simply curious will find much to listen to and look at here. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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 HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian producer and actress Panta Mosleh embraces these essays from author andrea bennett. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss this mix of personal revelations, food prep experiments, and observations on foodways, family, and life. Mosleh narrates with a strong voice and clear tone and neatly adopts the author’s sometimes interrogative style. A poet, editor and essayist, the author tries recipes, stores seeds, experiments with various crops and methods of resisting pests in their home in British Columbia. They write well on the joys of carrots and the importance of seed saving.  Read our review of the audiobook at our 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 HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, who has achieved fame for his restaurants, television shows, and five James Beard Awards, turns his considerable energy to his memoir. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss narrator Will Damron’s talented performance of the chef’s memoir. Damron brings this food-centered story vividly to life and gets Colicchio’s voice, cadence, and sometimes hectic recollections just right.  Colicchio’s story ranges from his Jersey beginnings to his early notoriety at New York’s famous Gramercy Tavern and Craft and his food-centric political causes. The author’s candor is refreshing, and his favorite recipes enliven the text.  Read our review of the audiobook at our 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 HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stanley Tucci may someday be as famous as a food writer as he is as an actor. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss the fun of listening to Tucci narrate his candid memoir. He plays with tone and tempo like a jazz musician, and he knows how to be ironic, self-effacing, witty, and charming, yet his performance is most satisfying because of his restraint. Tucci is a creative gourmand who is mischievous (he whispers his preparation of pigeon breasts) and masterfully ends each section with suggestions, recipes, appreciations, and observations. Since he’s an Italophile and pasta devotee, his greatest love is, of course, la cucina Italiana.  Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Siena East—a Choctaw writer, comedian, and actor—performs this romance novel from debut Chickasaw author Danica Nava. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss the author’s delightful storytelling and narrator’s ear for dialogue, making for an all-around enjoyable listen. After sending out countless job applications with few responses, Ember Lee Cardinal decides to exaggerate her work experience on her next application. She lands the job and meets her new co-worker, Danuwoa Colson, the only other Native person at her new office and the most handsome man she’s ever seen. East’s strong comedic timing enhances Ember and Danuwoa’s witty banter, and she captures their whirlwind workplace romance. Read our review of the audiobook at our 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, Max Lucado, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bob Goff, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this new horror story from Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. Natasha Soudek performs this story of a young Polish man suffering from tuberculosis who arrives at a health resort in the Silesian mountains in 1913. There he meets other men with similar conditions, each of whom is sure the mountain air will cure him. But when they learn about all the men who have gone missing from the resort, they fear they will meet the same mysterious fate. Soudek uses her skill to advance the suspense of the sinister happenings. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabby Beans performs this suspenseful novel about a Black nonbinary protagonist who is haunted by the events that occurred at their childhood home. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this tale of suburban horror from Rivers Solomon. After years of living in the UK, Ezri finds themself on a plane back to the U.S. to visit their parents in their suburban home outside Dallas, Texas. There, Ezri finds their parents dead and begins trying to reconstruct their last moments.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Macmillan Audio.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss a new collection of stories from one of Argentina’s most beloved authors, Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell. It’s performed by an ensemble cast, and the dark tales often feature the magical, mysterious, and bizarre. One standout includes Lee Osorio’s narration of “A Face of Disgrace,” in which Osorio’s voice is full of the protagonist’s panic and horror as her face begins to disappear. Annette Amelia Oliveira expertly performs “My Sad Dead,” capturing the protagonist’s nonchalance as she explains that she can see ghosts as they wander her neighborhood. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh performs a collection of her essays written from 2013-2024. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss how Smarsh’s narration captures the emotional depth of her essays. After growing up on a wheat farm in Kansas, Smarsh went on to join academia and found herself writing about her working-class childhood. Smarsh’s essays are full of sharp observations that are as relevant now as when they were first published. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Simon & Schuster.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Callingbull gives a heartfelt narration of Violet Duncan’s story of a young girl who starts having strange dreams while visiting family on the Cree reservation. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this National Book Award finalist for young people’s literature. Everyone is talking about researchers discovering unmarked children’s graves at the nearby residential school.Twelve-year-old Summer is curious to learn more, but it is a painful history. Callingbull brings a youthful enthusiasm to her narration of Summer and deeper, more resonant voices for the elders who share their stories. Summer slowly realizes that her dreams of a girl’s escape from the residential schools might be more real than she first thought. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Listening Library. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guy Lockard narrates this fresh and funny novel YA from Jason Reynolds. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss another excellent collaboration between Reynolds and Lockard. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old Neon, this novel explores moments leading backwards from Neon’s past twenty-four months. As Neon prepares to celebrate his anniversary with his girlfriend, Aria, he reflects on everything that has happened since they first met. Lockard’s deep, resonant voice is expressive and full of humor that fits Neon’s youth and the bright banter between Neon and his friends. This contemplative novel is a joyful celebration of young love. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this delightful romance audiobook set in a fantasy world. Omari Douglas has a teasing, mischievous lilt to his narration that perfectly suits Marske’s vivid world building. Dutiful Mattinesh Jay is entering into an arranged marriage to save his family’s failing textile business. An encounter with conman and duelist Luca Pierre leads Matti to hire him as his ceremonial best man; Luca also reluctantly agrees to give Matti sword-fighting lessons. Douglas captures the sparking, zinging dynamic between Matti and Luca. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to resist each other, and the more secrets are revealed. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Macmillan. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Éanna Hardwicke's narration highlights the rich emotionality of Sally Rooney’s newest novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Hardwicke’s skill at capturing every mood—becoming desperately angry, bitter, and frantic, yet also achingly tender, patient, and loving—as he performs a story of two grieving brothers. Peter and Ivan’s father has died, leaving them unmoored and their relationship strained. Hardwicke subtly captures the shifting perspectives of each character as he performs a story full of pain, hope, and love. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Nagle gives a clear and compelling narration of her look into how a small-town murder on the Muscogee Nation led to a significant 2020 Supreme Court case—and the largest restoration of Native tribal land in American history. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Nagle’s extensive research into the history behind this case, and how she contextualizes its impact on her own nation, the Cherokee, and other Oklahoma nations. An illuminating listen. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Harper Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multitalented playwright/director/actor Colman Domingo gathered an internationally acclaimed cast to hit this spirited blend of social satire, love, responsibility, and grief out of the park. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this play that revolves around the character of Gil, an out-of-work actor played by Domingo, who returns home to face the heartbreak of burying his late mother. He receives all kinds of advice performed by a marvelous cast that makes for a delightful roller coaster of a comedy. An absolute keeper. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Audible, Inc. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Flanagan performs this group story of a faculty at one public high school as if she were herself an entire acting company. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this engaging adult debut from a YA author. At the beginning of the story’s school year a superannuated substitute teacher dies ingloriously on a couch in the eponymous lounge. That episode and each one following introduces more linked characters, events, complications, and unintended consequences, sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, occasionally shocking, but all absorbing and believable. Flanagan’s skill and control with her narration are a quiet marvel. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Kristen Ariza lends her expert skills to Danzy Senna’s intimate character study. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine’s Michele Cobb discuss a story of a professor and struggling writer, Jane. She moves her family near Hollywood, where she meets a producer who wants to make her book into a television show. Jane is a complex character who is often skeptical, and when she is met with the usual difficulties while navigating Hollywood, she becomes even more suspicious. A great listen for fans of contemporary fiction. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how this performance by a five-narrator cast is truly special. The Fall children harness unique powers. When a magical rainbow-haired girl reveals her connection with the family, it kicks off a whirlwind of secrets that will either break them apart or further unite them. What’s more magical is the gorgeous concoction of every narrator’s style. It genuinely feels like each character is a complete story on their own, but when blended together, they create a symphony of mystery, challenges, and compelling world-building. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Listening Library. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners join Texas Ranger Darren Mathews who, after turning in his badge, reluctantly investigates the disappearance of a young, Black student from an otherwise all-white sorority house. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this story set in 2019 that concludes Attica Locke’s Highway 59 trilogy. JD Jackson’s pitch-perfect narration is the ideal match for this fast-paced story, which is seen through the eyes of a Black man who is living in Trump’s America. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Hachette Audio Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss a new thrilling audiobook from Liane Moriarty. Narrators Caroline Lee and Geraldine Hakewill weave the threads of this tense exploration of free will. Everyone on a delayed flight across Australia is tired and frustrated. Suddenly, a nondescript woman stands and begins pointing to fellow passengers and stating how they will die and when. She won’t remember this later—when the predictions start coming true. Lee voices Cherry, the Death Lady, with petulant sincerity, while Hakewill portrays the other passengers as they struggle to forget the predictions or change their destinies. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden Voice Adjoa Andoh’s remarkable skills of characterization and pacing are on full display in this reissue of le Carré’s novel of espionage and manipulation in the Middle East. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this story of a naïve English actress, Charlie, who agrees to work undercover for an Israeli spy to identify a Palestinian terrorist, and is co-opted by morally ambiguous people. Andoh gives Charlie a light, sweet voice and an unsophisticated tone that emphasize her bravado and innocence. From slow-burn psychological seductions to rapid-fire arguments, she makes the complex multilayered story accessible and provocative throughout. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Dreamscape. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile’s Robin Whitten tells host Jo Reed about the fun of diving into the start of a new series from a favorite author, Allison Brennan. Hillary Huber has the perfect voice for PI Margo Angelhart, portraying her as confident, righteous, and brave. Margo’s chapters, told in the first person, let listeners experience her thoughts and emotions as she protects abused women and uncovers her own client’s deceptions. But listeners also hear the points of view of several other characters in their own chapters, adding depth to our understanding and all masterfully differentiated by Huber. A fantastic start to this new series. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Harlequin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Linda Emond returns to deliver a masterful performance in the 23rd installment of the Temperance Brennan series. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss the newest book from author Kathy Reichs, this time set in Washington, D.C., at the site of a tragic fire. Emond has found the perfect voice for the forensic anthropologist who relentlessly works to put together the puzzles provided by body remains. Listeners will learn about criminals from the Prohibition era and their continued legacy. Reichs’s engaging plot partnered with Emond’s exceptional narration will keep listeners glued to their earbuds. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Magazine’s Robin Whitten discuss a magical children’s audiobook from author Katherine Rundell, and narrated by English actor Samuel West. If Christopher weren’t holding a baby griffin, he never would have come to believe his grandfather about the hidden archipelago where magical creatures live—or agreed when Mal, a girl who is looking for her griffin, asks him to go there and help her find out why they’re dying. West’s presentation shines as he provides voices appropriate for the magical world’s denizens, and increasing emphasis as the journey becomes more dangerous and its consequences more dire. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Listening Library. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edwidge Danticat’s audiobook of essays testifies to a close reader and observer of human affairs. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how the famed Haitian American novelist, memoirist, and children’s author is clearly a practiced narrator. Her essays range from the horrors of racism, the toll of hurricanes, and the inequity of climate change to the appreciation of writers she admires. A fine collection that creates an indelible portrait of a keen and remarkable mind.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Recorded Books.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Patrick Hopkins narrates a globe-trotting audiobook, bringing enthusiasm and the right tempo to his narration. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Rob Jackson’s examination of the scientific basis for climate change. Stanford-based Jackson, chair of the Global Carbon Project, does hands-on work in ecology: He has marked gas leaks in Washington, D.C.; witnessed the deaths of river dolphins in the Amazon; and reported on rewilding efforts in Finland. A primer for positive action and a warning about what happens if we don’t act. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Easter narrates his guide to where our food comes from and how its production affects the planet. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss Easter’s calm and clear delivery of his highly informed text. His urgent focus, agriculture’s carbon footprint, is told through research, reporting, and anecdotes. A primer on macro issues of food and climate change that also offers useful micro suggestions.   Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.     Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and podcaster Nicola Twilley has dedicated years to the study of refrigeration. AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff tells host Jo Reed how this is one of the most important environmental studies of the year. The audiobook reveals the significance of cooling food and the cost to the environment of doing so, as well as its effect on flavor. Twilley is witty and ably simplifies science. She describes the elements of the “cold chain” that bring us our food, but bemoans how the convenience of the fridge often displaces flavor and sacrifices vitamins.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Annie Ernaux. For more information, visit dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rumaan Alam’s new novel tells the story of a mega-rich octogenarian and a 33-year-old Black woman. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Alan Minskoff discuss how narrator Nicole Lewis does an excellent job voicing the story with subtle gradations of tone and tempo. The plot involves Vassar-educated Brooke Orr; Lewis gets her sound and style. Orr goes to work for wealthy philanthropist Asher Jaffee to help him give away his billions, and the story explores wealth and aspiration, race, and power. This often dark story stays with the listener.  Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio.  Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website.      Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Dara Rosenberg joins AudioFile’s Michele Cobb for a conversation about the joy and fun of her work narrating The Undoubtable Rose Beaufont fantasy audiobooks. In this series, written by Sarah Noffke and Michael Anderle, listeners meet magicians, witches, giants, and talking dragons! Listen to hear about how Dara approaches narrating this action-packed series starring Rose Beaufont, who suddenly learns she’s half mortal and half magician and has to save the mortal world from uncontrolled magic. Read our review of the first in the series, THE MYSTERIOUS DAUGHTER. Published by Dreamscape. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today’s episode is sponsored by Dreamscape. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A full cast performs John Patrick Green’s humorous investigation featuring upright-walking, talking, vest-wearing alligators. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss the fun of listening to this wacky kids’ audiobook adapted from the graphic novel. Mango and Brash go undercover at Batter Down Bakery to find a kidnapped baker and fight the evil “Crackerdile.” This pun-filled story includes clever acronyms, vocal sound effects, and catchy tunes that will make listeners of all ages laugh out loud. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Connelly’s eight-part podcast is wonderfully produced and offers a handful of actors woven in and out of a riveting and well-paced story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this adapted horror story that smoothly intertwines the fantastical into the plot. After a novelist calls a locksmith to open a safe, things get a bit scary for them both. Listeners will remain engaged, and once you start listening, you won’t want to stop. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Audible, Inc. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Henry Hwang’s sharp, purposeful, yet very playful “unreliable” memoir is serious satirical fun performed by a full cast. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this story of a white actor being cast as a lead in a play that strongly protests casting white actors in Asian American roles. David Henry Hwang, portrayed by a droll Daniel Dae Kim, has a hard decision to make: Come clean or cover it up. As this production unfolds fast-paced scenes of phone calls, monologues, memories, and kitchen-table conversations, it takes on the serious subjects of cultural appropriation, artistic freedom, and flat-out discrimination. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Audible, Inc. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Baldiwn’s three-act play about the power of religion to shield people from the outside world has a cast that is quirky, protective, gossipy, dogmatic, and spirited. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this full cast performance that honors Baldiwn’s narrative and enhances it by capturing the intensity and emotions of the play. This is a story of the highs and lows of passionate people who are trying to survive the best way they can. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Santino Fontana delivers Riley Sager’s trademark psychological suspense. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this twisty thriller that’s a great slow-burn mystery with a touch of the paranormal. It’s 1994, and 10-year-old Ethan and his best friend, Billy, camp out in Ethan’s backyard. The night will tragically be remembered as the night Billy was taken from the tent while his best friend slept beside him. Thirty years later, Ethan reluctantly returns to his childhood home. Immersive storytelling helps listeners follow dual timelines. Fontana’s expressive tone enhances the multiple points of view. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. The sponsor for today's podcast is Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, a witty memoir about legendary journalist Connie Chung's experience as the first Asian woman to break into the overwhelmingly white male dominated news industry--read by Connie Chung! Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narrator Jennifer Ikeda reintroduces listeners to power couple Diana and Matthew de Claremont, witch and vampire, and their equally magical children. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this continuation of the tale that Deborah Harkness first started in A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. When a black bird brings Diana a message, she heads to Ravenswood, her Aunt Gwyneth’s property in Massachusetts, to uncover the dark side of her magic. Ikeda brings every corner of Ravenswood to life, pointing out its marshes, barns, and haunted woods in warm, wondrous tones. Her narration illuminates the shadowy paths Diana now chooses to tread. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Support for our podcast comes from Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, this behind the scenes look into Connie Chung's life, read by Connie Chung herself. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kendra Winchester tells host Jo Reed about one of the most delightful science fiction stories of the year. Katharine Chin performs Yume Kitasei’s Indiana Jones-like adventure that’s perfect for lovers of great heist stories. Maya Hoshimoto, former thief, has retired to Earth to be a graduate student in anthropology. But when her best friend asks her to do one last job, she reluctantly agrees. Chin’s narration captures Maya’s adventurous spirit as she travels across space with her crew, and she keeps listeners on the edge of their seats with her performance. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Macmillan Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. The sponsor for today's podcast is Hachette Audio, the publisher of CONNIE, a witty memoir about legendary journalist Connie Chung's experience as the first Asian woman to break into the overwhelmingly white male dominated news industry--read by Connie Chung! Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adepero Oduye and Chukwudi Iwuji perform Akwaeke Emezi’s novel told by a group of characters who are all connected by the events of a single night. AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester tells host Jo Reed about what she describes as one of the most whirlwind stories she’s listened to all year. In an unnamed city in Nigeria, Kalu attends a sex party to help him forget that his girlfriend, Aima, has just left him. But everything goes wrong, and Kalu finds himself sucked into the city’s seedy underbelly with no way out. The narrators work together to draw listeners in with the emotional depth of their performances. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile’s website. Today's podcast is brought to you by the audiobook edition of CONNIE, read by Connie Chung, on sale today from Hachette Audio. Find out more at Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices