Listening to this National Book Award finalist is a delight. Ten African-American narrators read 10 interconnected stories with uniformly excellent performances. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly tells host Jo Reed what she loved about this middle-grade audiobook written by Jason Reynolds. In tales set after school gets out, students head home on skateboards, talk about boogers and water bears, stand up to bullies, and show up to admit when they’ve done wrong. The author himself narrates the final chapter and author’s note. With each narrator so beautifully bringing the students’ stories to life, listening is an excellent way to enjoy them. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from GraphicAudio, A Movie In Your Mind. Celebrating 15 Years of Immersive Audio Entertainment featuring A Full Cast and Imaginative Sound Scapes with new series such as Brandon Sanderson's White Sand, Vault Comics Wasted Space, Ordinary Magic, and over 1,250 more full cast titles available only at www.GraphicAudio.net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continue the story of Lyra and Pantalaimon in an epic adventure set 8 years after HIS DARK MATERIALS came to an end, and 20 years after we met Lyra as an infant in LA BELLE SAUVAGE, on today’s episode. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly share a love for Philip Pullman’s fantastical worlds. Michael Sheen throws himself wholeheartedly into narrating this adventure, and listeners will be rapt. Conflict between Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon is the catalyst for a series of journeys in this tense and dramatic audiobook. Published by Listening Library. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from GraphicAudio, A Movie In Your Mind. Celebrating 15 Years of Immersive Audio Entertainment featuring A Full Cast and Imaginative Sound Scapes with new series such as Brandon Sanderson's White Sand, Vault Comics Wasted Space, Ordinary Magic, and over 1,250 more full cast titles available only at www.GraphicAudio.net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen as author Joe Hill and narrator Dennis Boutsikaris join host Jo Reed for a conversation about crafting a chilling audiobook. In honor of Hill’s newest collection, FULL THROTTLE, Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine is rebroadcasting our conversation about their collaboration on STRANGE WEATHER, Hill’s collection of four short novels. Getting the author and narrator together to talk about the creative process allows for fascinating insights into the making of audiobooks. Hill talks about the impact of listening to his stories read aloud by masterful narrators, and how it has influenced his writing. He shares comments about his literary life, and growing up with his parents Stephen King and Tabitha King. Boutsikaris discusses the impact that good writing has on making his narration sound like a natural extension of the story. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another cold case intrigues LAPD’s Harry Bosch and pulls him out of his “retirement.” He teams up with the young detective of THE LATE SHOW, Renee Ballard. The dual narrators take on cops, crime, secrets, and great detective work. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though Halloween inspired today’s audiobook pick, these 13 dark and creepy stories will linger much longer than one all hallows eve. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile editor Robin Whitten discuss Joe Hill’s new short story collection—and the star-powered cast of narrators. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does Chet’s canine point of view work so well as an audiobook? Jim Frangione’s performance and the wordplay of Quinn’s Chet & Bernie mysteries make for great listening—and a good topic for this conversation between host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten. Published by Recorded Books. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does the dazzling new full-cast recording of White’s classic compare to the original recording by the author? In this episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile editor Robin Whitten talk about performances beloved by generations of listeners. Published by Listening Library. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debut fiction from the author of Between the World and Me that moves into the realm of magical realism. Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten talk about how this work fits into the canon along with the work of Colson Whitehead and Toni Morrison. Hiram Walker is a young man with remarkable gifts working on The Underground Railroad. Published by Random House Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Compulsively entertaining and dazzlingly performed. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and Host Jo Reed discuss Stephen King’s latest horror audiobook. Santino Fontana does wonders with a diverse lineup of characters, including supernaturally gifted children trapped at The Institute, and the many voices of their menacing adult captors. If you’re looking for an unforgettable story of kids confronting evil, or new sinister listening for your weekend, look no further. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perfect listening for book lovers. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss the history of the book as told by Rutgers English professor Leah Price. Narrator Elisabeth Rodgers’s eloquent narration lets the wide-ranging content take center stage. Take a world tour of an iconic object — the book — and a deep dive into the history of reading. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A wise guide through life’s challenges from a father to his sons. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and host Jo Reed talk about this collection of advice from the author of THE THINGS THEY CARRIED, Tim O’Brien. This memoir and tribute are made all the more meaningful with O’Brien’s gravelly delivery and tone of love and hope. The author’s father had always been a mystery to him, and this memoir provides “scattered glimpses” of the author for his sons. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do our biases about others make us misread strangers? Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss the latest audiobook from Malcolm Gladwell. In an Earphones Award-winning performance, Gladwell’s narration skills add sparkling energy to his writing. His examination of interactions with people we don’t know will intrigue. Woven into the listening experience is audio from many of those scientists, criminologists, and psychologists he interviewed, creating a listen that’s part audiobook and part podcast. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR reporter Aarti Shahani shares her family’s American Dream — and American nightmare. In today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith talk about Shahani’s moving memoir. Shahani reports on Silicon Valley for NPR and is the daughter of an immigrant who served time when caught up in a money laundering scheme. Shahani shifts seamlessly between the multiple languages her family speaks to narrate her family’s story of struggle, hardship, family strife, and finally achieving that elusive American Dream. Published by Macmillan Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beautifully written and performed poetry from the first Native American to be poet laureate of the United States. Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb talk about Harjo’s Earphones Award-winning poetry collection, filled with emotions and moments of song. The poems are even more moving thanks to the author’s vivid and emotional interpretations. Joy Harjo is in the front rank of poets—and poetry readers—working in English today. Published by Blackstone Publishing. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear proliferation takes center stage as AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb and host Jo Reed discuss what makes an audio play performance different from an audiobook. Notable actors Alfred Molina and Steven Weber perfectly portray the humor and the frustration of their jobs to negotiate between the United States and Russia while taking a series of walks. Published by L.A. Theatre Works. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love against the odds. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb talk about the powerful emotions at play in this YA historical fiction audiobook about a romance during World War II. The dual narration allows listeners to hear perspectives from both of the characters, an interned Japanese American young man, and a young woman appalled by his treatment by the U.S. Government. Published by Blink. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January LaVoy makes this an A+ listen. AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb and Jo Reed discuss the ways in which January’s performance beautifully finds the sadness, desperation, and humor in the audiobook. These Colorado parents are willing to do anything to get their kids recognized as gifted, landing them a spot in the exclusive Crystal Academy. January creates distinct voices and personalities for both children and adults, particularly the four friends at the novel’s center. The only question we’re left with is which parent we identify with most, for good or ill. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A highly anticipated adult fiction novel with a multivoice cast. Join Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb discussing the emotionally connective reading by five narrators, including the author. Meet three generations of an African-American family. Bahni Turpin narrates as sixteen-year-old Melody, whose mother Iris is rarely around. She was a teen mother, and narrator Shayna Small fills in Iris’s complexities. The rich voices of Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Peter Francis James evoke the age, devotion, and authority of Melody’s grandparents. Author Jacqueline Woodson’s third-person narrative connects the protagonists. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join host Jo Reed as she talks with one of the greats in the world of audiobooks, George Guidall. Hear what drew him to the world of audiobooks, highlights from his impressive career, and what he's loved about narrating the series that listeners adore. He has won accolades including AudioFile Earphones Awards, Audie Awards, and the APA Special Achievement award. George has narrated more than 1,700 audiobooks over his long career. He has come to appreciate the depth of the narrator-listener connection through talks at local libraries, where he hears from listeners the impact his narration has had on them. For more reviews of audiobooks narrated by George Guidall, visit audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new “Downton Abbey” film inspired our choice of this contemporary story about three very different women who form a lasting friendship as they watch weekly screenings of the TV series. We chat about how much narrator Orlagh Cassidy’s marvelous accents add to the listening experience. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to our conversation about the author of classic gothic and supernatural tales, master storyteller Arthur Conan Doyle. Think of the creator of Sherlock Holmes as the great-great-grandfather of pulp fiction and binge-worthy television and it all makes sense. Irish narrator Gary Furlong adds the right fresh approach to the tales and handles myriad accents. Perfect for Halloween. Published by Tantor Media. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enjoy the conversation about this charming story of two sisters, Edith and Helen, as podcast host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten highlight what makes this a great listen. Narrator Judith Ivey delivers a tone of Midwestern pragmatism as the women bake pies, brew beer, nurture unlikely friendships, and find redemption. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans of spy stories—as podcast host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten are—like nothing better than talking about the details of the classic tradecraft of spies. We can’t give the details away, but we share just enough to get you listening to the short and satisfying audiobook from British author Mick Herron and Golden Voice Gerard Doyle. A fortuitous pairing. Published by Recorded Books. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The newest literary drama from the author of ROOM takes listeners on a trip to the French Riviera. Host Jo Reed and editor Robin Whitten chat about the appeal of listening to unlikely traveling companions Noah—a 79-year-old retired professor—and Michael, his 11-year-old grand nephew he barely knows. How does narrator Jason Culp nail the dialogue, bickering, and self-discovery? Our podcast discussion sheds some light on his skilled performance. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens to the “chosen one” after the big bad guy’s gone? Join host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly as they talk about this highly anticipated sequel to Rainbow Rowell’s CARRY ON, and the exceptional skills of narrator Euan Morton. Simon Snow defeated the Insidious Humdrum, and now he’s flunking out of university, has lost his magic, and feels very glum. His best friend Penelope hatches a plan for a good old-fashioned road trip in America, so Simon, his vampire boyfriend Baz, and energetic Penelope head off. Morton smoothly shifts between distinct voices and emotions for every character they encounter on the road. Published by Macmillan Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A smashing start to a new mystery series from Ann Cleeves. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly take listeners to charming North Devon, England, where DI Matthew Venn’s team has just found the body of a dead man on the beach. Ben Aldridge narrates with a cool and easy pace, mirroring Matthew’s calm demeanor as he leads his team on the investigation. The clues all point toward Matthew’s own past with his estranged religious community, and his sweet husband. Aldridge’s smoothly shifting accents introduce listeners to a new team of investigators in a community that has many secrets to uncover. The perfect next listen for fans of Cleeves’s Vera Stanhope and Shetland series. Published by Macmillan Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January LaVoy’s breathtaking narration shines in this historical fantasy. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly marvel at LaVoy’s ability to bring dynamic and diverse characters to life. January Scaller is a daring young girl who feels trapped in the country home of her guardian, Mr. Locke, while her dad is off on adventures. When she finds a Door that leads to another world, and a book that points to the existence of thousands of doors, everything changes. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emotionally and culturally authentic teen listening. AudioFile’s Emily Connelly tells host Jo Reed all the many reasons she loved listening to David Yoon’s new YA bestseller. Franki Li is a sweet, nerdy high school junior falling in love with his classmate. Only trouble is, she’s white, and his Korean parents only want him dating Korean girls. Narrator Raymond J. Lee’s empathetic performance captures everything in Frank’s life from the disconnect between first- and second-generation immigrants and the hilarious and heartfelt conversations between Frank and his friends. Published by Listening Library. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Join New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan for a seven-part original podcast – Behind the Scenes of Becoming Mrs. Lewis – and explore in depth the improbable and beautiful love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Learn more at www.becomingmrslewispodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This impressive sequel is even more dramatic on audio. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly recommend Margaret Atwood’s sequel to her dystopian classic, THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Set fifteen years after Offred fled Gilead, the story focuses on the lives of Aunts, Wives, and children in that society. The imposing Aunt Lydia is a central player in Gilead, and her secretive diary entries are narrated by Ann Dowd, known for her role as Aunt Lydia on the television adaptation. Witness testimonies are narrated by Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman, whose voices reflect the divergent lives they live as children in Gilead and Canada. Published by Random House Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A compelling tale of scientific discoveries at sea. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith and host Jo Reed learn about H.M.S. Challenger, which made the first scientific explorations of the sea in the 1870s. Sean Runnette’s steady voice suits the spirit of the narrative written by an esteemed oceanographer. Hear of the biological riches dredged up from the ocean floor and the legacy the voyage left for our ongoing study of the ocean. Published by Tantor Media. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get up close and personal with one of humankind’s fiercest enemies. Join host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith to hear how mosquitoes have changed the course of human history and still impact us today. Mark Deakins’s skillfull narration holds listeners’ attention as we learn how mosquitoes could have been the downfall of King Tut and the reason the Magna Carta was signed. Published by Penguin Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen as Peter Berkrot captures all of ghostwriter Stewart Hoag’s wit, wisecracks, and warmth. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discuss this latest mystery from David Handler. The down-on-his-luck Hoag is penning celebrity memoirs, but he might finally have a handle on his own second novel. Literary mischief and mayhem ensue when he’s called upon to investigate a missing manuscript, and Berkrot has a lot of fun bringing the story to life. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Her words are candy on my tongue,” says narrator Hillary Huber of author Cathleen Schine. AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith tells host Jo Reed about this fiction audiobook perfect for lovers of words — and great narration. Twin girls are born with a love of language, honed with their parents’ encouragement and centered around the family’s dictionary. Their shared love for the English language draws them ever closer together until a fierce rivalry tears them apart. This is a fun, captivating audiobook, and Huber is the perfect voice for it. Published by Macmillan Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into the world of art theft with the Met’s former Chief Security Officer. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Jonathan Smith discover the history of famous art heists and discuss how narrator Mark Sanderson’s deep voice lends an authoritative tone to John Barelli’s memoir. Being responsible for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s vast collection meant not only guarding against thieves but also working to secure the large institution against acts of terrorism. If watching THE GOLDFINCH makes you wonder who would steal priceless works of art — have we got a listen for you! Published by Blackstone Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The perfect audiobook if you need a laugh. This 2012 Audie winner for Audiobook of the Year is a great example of how an author narrating their own work can bring that extra something. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb chat about how Tina Fey’s challenges as a busy working mother are relatable and her comedy amplified through her perfectly delivered performance. It’s one of AudioFile’s favorites, and on the top of our recommended listening list. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An audiobook you absolutely have to hear. Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb express their admiration for the author’s poetic performance of her own work, one of AudioFile’s favorites and a National Book Award and Carnegie Medal winner. Xiomara is a 15-year-old first-generation Dominican-American girl who finds her voice through poetry. Acevedo’s performance chops pull the listener into Xiomara’s world, making this audiobook the ideal way to experience this novel. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robin Miles’s narration brings out the heart in a story built on incredible science. Michele Cobb, AudioFile Publisher, and host Jo Reed discuss an AudioFile favorite that went on to become a hit movie. Forget about breaking the glass ceiling — these four black women worked for NASA as “computers” and were instrumental in breaking the sound barrier and paving the way for space exploration. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Hamilton: the Musical” is a cultural phenomenon, and the audiobook is a must-listen. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile Publisher Michele Cobb discuss their delight at this Audie Award Audiobook of the Year winner. It’s an AudioFile favorite packed with behind-the-scenes insights into how a Broadway musical gets made. Narrated by superfan Mariska Hargitay along with Lin-Manuel Miranda himself reading the libretto footnotes. Published by Hachette Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pulitzer Prize-winning modern classic narrated by author Toni Morrison herself. Jo Reed and AudioFile publisher Michele Cobb start a week of episodes of AudioFile Favorites—audiobooks we love to recommend. BELOVED is a compelling and complicated tale with an emotional punch, where the wounds of slavery run deep. It has controversial characters and a musical pace that will stay with the listener. Published by Random House Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With so many historical mysteries to choose from, why does Alan Furst’s WWII noir make the AudioFile Favorites list? Host Jo Reed and Robin Whitten talk about the appeal and compare two versions of the audiobook. In Paris in the late 1930s, journalist Carl Weisz takes over an antifascist newspaper and is swept deeper into the international émigré community and the increasing danger of work for the Resistance. This 2007 spy novel has two audiobook versions—unabridged read by celebrated narrator George Guidall and a powerful abridgment, narrated by Alfred Molina. Published by Simon & Schuster (Alfred Molina version) & Recorded Books (narrated by George Guidall) Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The host of “The Daily Show” gives a candid, unflinching look at his South African childhood. Editor Robin Whitten and host Jo Reed talk about why this author-read memoir is one of AudioFile’s go-to recommendations. Trevor Noah injects his candor and uses his wry humor with his innate storytelling and mimicry to leaven the story commenting on the absurdities of apartheid while giving a stark portrait of the repressive lives of Black South Africans. Published by Audible. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com, For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The charm of the Italian coast, movie star glamour, hope, and heartbreak are wrapped in a magical narration by Edoardo Ballerini. Editor Robin Whitten and host Jo Reed talk about why this audiobook performance makes the novel one of AudioFile’s Favorites. Listeners start with an Italian innkeeper in the 1960s and and move all the way through present-day Hollywood with dozens of unforgettable characters: husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, all warmly and vividly portrayed by Ballerini. An Earphones and Audie Award winner. Published by HarperAudio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gaiman’s fantastic worlds are an absolute delight on audio, and listeners are especially lucky to get to experience this Newbery Award-winning middle grade fantasy in Gaiman’s own voice. Host Jo Reed and Editor Robin Whitten chat about why THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is an AudioFile Favorite. Fans of AMERICAN GODS or GOOD OMENS may not know about Gaiman’s children’s audiobooks.This story of an orphaned boy—“Bod,” short for Nobody—who is raised by ghosts in the local graveyard also features an array of mythological and supernatural characters. The storytelling is as good as it gets. There is a full-cast version of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK with Derek Jacobi and other well known actors, but Gaiman’s single-voice performance has an intimate warmth and conveys a certain safety for young listeners during the scarier parts of the story. Published by HarperAudio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A window into Philip Pullman’s fantastic universe is the way many listeners first entered the audiobook world. Editor Robin Whitten and host Jo Reed start a week of episodes of AudioFile Favorites—the audiobooks we always recommend. The first in the His Dark Materials trilogy sets the stage with miraculous creatures—daemons, armored bears, and witches—who join 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua in her quest for truth. The multi-actor cast of this audiobook version engages listeners from the opening scenes. THE GOLDEN COMPASS has stayed at the top of our favorites list for more than 20 years! The BBC/HBO TV adaption “His Dark Materials” arrives later this fall, as does the second audiobook in Pullman’s new series, THE BOOK OF DUST: THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH, narrated by Michael Sheen. Published by Penguin Random House/Listening Library. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take a road trip around America with Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile reviewer Jonathan Smith discuss a new American history audiobook. Josh Hamilton narrates the story of Ford, Edison, John Burroughs, and their ten years of summer road trips across the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. But they weren’t simply adventuring—they were working to transform the way we travel. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An audiobook devoted to the semicolon? Hear host Jo Reed and AudioFile reviewer Jonathan Smith discuss this unlikely yet lively audiobook. Narrator Pam Ward’s expressive narration delights as she recounts the history of grammar’s most misunderstood punctuation mark, the semicolon. It’s a listen that’s brisk, witty, and provocative; a genuine pleasure for the ear. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brace yourself for a roller coaster of a story. AudioFile reviewer Jonathan Smith tells host Jo Reed why NEVER HAVE I EVER is such a captivating thriller. When a newcomer to Amy’s neighborhood starts blackmailing her, she finds herself in a battle to conceal her deepest, darkest secret. Author Joshilyn Jackson is also a skilled narrator—she breathes life into her characters, setting the scene in the Florida Panhandle. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into a sprawling, incandescent historical novel. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile reviewer Jonathan Smith share an audiobook recommendation that will see you through any road trip. DEEP RIVER is an engrossing and commanding historical epic about one immigrant family’s shifting fortunes in Washington state. Bronson Pinchot’s extraordinary ear for language and his nuanced delivery enliven the prose and capture the heart of the listener. Published by Blackstone Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com. For more free audiobook recommendations, sign up for AudioFile Magazine’s newsletter. Support for Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine comes from Paperback Classics, a new imprint from Oasis Family Media, bringing the best vintage pulp paperbacks to audio, including the 1960s cult-classic series Dark Shadows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices